A Little Less Than Perfect
by Marie Hawkins
Summary: Claude\Sebastian fluff. AU- set in modern times. Just... just read it. Please.
1. Live a Little

**A\N: **So, being blatantly honest here: this is my first yaoi. I do not state this to incite pity, but understanding. The going may be rough, alright? Anyway. I'm not sure if this is going to contain any sort of citrus, since I really have no experience writing it... but I suppose its a possibility. If you ask nicely.

I'm just a weirdo who really likes this odd pairing, and felt they deserved more fics than they had. So, I started one. The end. Feel free to leave suggestions and reviews! Reviews make the world go round (or at least they make _my_ world go round...) :)

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><p>It was probably just like every typical 'geek falls for the popular kid' story. It made Claude want to vomit. It wasn't like he had any choice in the matter, however. If he had his way, he would never fall in love. Life would be so much simpler that way. But, of course, a simple life would be highly improbable. Especially for someone like him.<p>

In every relationship there are rules of conduct. For instance, with females, it is considered rude to date your friend's crush. It is rude to flirt with your friend's ex. For males, the rules are a lot less complex, yet entirely more difficult to comprehend. Regardless, in either case, it is considered ridiculous to fall in love with your best friend. Claude had, unfortunately, found himself in such a predicament.

Sebastian Michaelis was the typical womanizer. He was with a different girl every night, never really committing. He was loud, rebellious, and confident. Normally, Claude found these attributes major contributing factors to Sebastian's attractiveness. Though, when these were coupled with alcohol and the presence of a female or two, the results were usually disastrous. Claude never really mentioned his annoyance at Sebastian's habits, tolerating them for the sake of their friendship.

When Claude had first met Sebastian all those years ago, it was hard. Claude wasn't a very verbal or emotional person, yet around Sebastian he was finding it difficult to keep his feelings buried. Of course, he didn't want to lose his friendship with Sebastian, and, ultimately, that's what trained him to control his thoughts. Sebastian had been the best friend Claude could have asked for. Sebastian always had his back. In fact, that's really how the two of them had become friends. Sebastian was willing to stand up for Claude, even when he didn't know the boy.

Though he had long since buried his feelings for his best friend, that didn't mean they weren't there. It was quite ridiculous, really. Claude was an adult, a young one, but an adult nonetheless. Yet, he still dragged around this incessant schoolboy crush. He would catch himself daydreaming during class, occasionally blushing when Sebastian came around, and nearly having a heart attack every time their skin came in contact. What he wouldn't do to rid himself of this feeling! Yet it seemed fate had something different in mind.

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><p>Claude was the only reason the apartment was in order. Sebastian was, frankly, a slob. When he wanted to, he could clean up nice, but that was a rare occasion.<p>

Claude busied himself with finishing the preparations for breakfast. Surprisingly, Sebastian was the better cook, though he was never coherent enough to cook in the mornings. Normally, the task of breakfast fell to Claude. The table was set, and Claude was carrying a pitcher of orange juice to the table when Sebastian strode into their kitchen. It was apparent he had just finished his morning shower; his hair was still damp and he was clad in nothing save a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. Claude averted his gaze from Sebastian as quickly as a three year old who still believed in cooties would look away from a couple kissing. He could feel a slight rush of warmth flood to his cheeks. He cursed himself in his mind as he set down the pitcher on their table.

Sebastian plopped down in a chair, grinning as he served himself a rather large helping of breakfast. Claude seated himself next to his ill-mannered friend, sighing deeply. He should be used to Sebastian's belief in little to no clothing before noon, but he wasn't.

"Look," he said, keeping his eyes plastered to the pitcher of orange juice straight ahead of him. "I wanna see your junk just as much as the next guy, but I'd appreciate it if you'd cover it up until _after_ breakfast," he said lightly.

"Oh, right," Sebastian said between bites. "Sorry." He made a lame attempt to pull the damp towel higher up his waist, making no real change. Claude decided it was an 'A for effort' matter, and let the subject drop.

"What're you doing tonight?" Sebastian asked after a beat of silence. He turned to his friend, his deep scarlet eyes glinting with mischief. Claude knew that look only too well. "I was going to get a couple of friends to go out tonight," he continued on without really waiting for Claude's answer. "We could be each other's wingmen and-"

"-As tempting as that sounds," Claude interrupted, "I have to study for my finals. Which, by the way, you should be doing, too," he smiled slightly as he spoke. Sebastian's excited expression fell as he remembered his duties as a student, which he frequently ignored.

"Dammit, Claude," he said, sighing, "Why do you have to be so…" he struggled to find a word.

"Responsible?" Claude supplied, laughing lightly. It was true. Sebastian and Claude were almost polar opposites. Which was a good thing for Sebastian.

"…Straight laced!" Sebastian finished for himself. "Come on, we can study for finals tomorrow." Claude laughed loudly at the suggestion.

"What, when you're hung over and I'm exhausted from babysitting?"

"Oh, live a little," Sebastian pleaded. Claude rolled his eyes. Sebastian didn't really know how tempting his offer was. But, Claude had far more practice resisting Sebastian's charms. In fact, he was probably one of the only people on the face of the planet that could say _no_ to him. Ironically enough, he was one of the only people who hated saying that word. Especially to Sebastian.

"Okay," he conceded. "I'll live a little." Sebastian's face broke into an ear to ear grin as Claude spoke. "I'll _help_ you study," Claude smiled. Sebastian's smile faltered. He groaned as he brought his forehead forcefully to the surface of the kitchen table.

"Don't be such a baby," Claude laughed. "You'll be thanking me later."

"Doubtful," Sebastian muttered. Claude said nothing, merely smiled as he began to eat his breakfast. It was a typical morning. Sebastian was always trying to get Claude to party and Claude was always trying to get Sebastian to study. Usually, Sebastian would neglect his studies and party –with or with_out_ Claude (and it was usually the latter). Occasionally, Claude would successfully convince Sebastian to study and be responsible. At least for one night. Claude always enjoyed those nights. There were no females around to distract Sebastian from the task at hand, and Claude was able to spend time with Sebastian. Granted, there was nothing really romantic about studying, but Claude wasn't about to complain. Time with Sebastian was time with Sebastian. And it was quite valuable at that.

"Just one request," Claude said as he stood to clear his dishes. Sebastian lifted his head, a visible red mark on his forehead from where it had collided with the table.

"Wear some clothes, okay?" he teased, still smiling. Sebastian rolled his eyes and let his head thud back to the table.

"You're so unreasonable," Sebastian grumbled sarcastically. "I would like to be _comfortable_ while I study."

"So would I, and clothing is a reasonable request," Claude retorted, even if he didn't really mean it.


	2. Study Sessions

Study Sessions About Sebastian

"I'm sorry I'm late!"

The tranquility of the library was interrupted by a loud, boisterous red head. Claude didn't even bother to lift his eyes from his book. He knew exactly who it was. William did too. He heard Will heave a rather large sigh. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Will turn toward the source of the disruption, doling out a death glare, no doubt.

William Spears had been Claude's friend for almost as long as he could remember. The two of them had formed what began as a grudging friendship, though over the years the hostility had disappeared. Claude blamed his tendency to follow the rules on William, who was just as finicky about obedience as Claude, if not more so.

Yet, his taste in men was not something Claude quite understood. As of late, Will had settled down with someone who could be defined as his exact opposite: Grell Sutcliffe. Grell was loud, often clumsy, and negligent. At first, Claude wasn't sure how William could stand him. As time wore on, however, he realized Grell could grow on you, though that didn't mean he wasn't frequently annoying.

"You're late every time," Will chided as Grell slid into the seat beside him. "The least you could do is draw little to no attention to yourself. We're in a _library_ for God's sake."

"I'm sorry," Grell repeated, not bothering to lower his voice. "Hey, Claude," he greeted Claude finally acknowledging his presence. He flicked his long red ponytail behind his shoulder. Claude lifted his eyes from his studies to address Grell.

"Hey, Grell," he said. "Will and I were just studying the notes from last class period" he filled Grell in quickly. "That is, _if_ the two of you actually plan to get any studying done," he added. The last time they met in the library involved less studying and more interaction between Will and Grell that wasn't really appropriate for a school library.

"We're going to study," Will assured Claude firmly, yet with a slight blush. "There's no other time we'll be able to."

"There isn't?" Grell asked, suddenly panicked. His cheerful expression was replaced with one of doom. "What about tonight? I thought we were going to study tonight, too!"

"_We _are, but Claude can't. He's already agreed to help Sebastian study," Will informed Grell coolly. He didn't really like to discuss Sebastian around his boyfriend for obvious reasons. Sebastian was Grell's Achilles' heel regardless of his relationship status.

"Oh," Grell sighed, slumping back in his chair. "Lucky bastard," he muttered. Claude rolled his eyes.

"We're _studying_, Grell," Claude repeated. "That's all." He doubted they'd even get much of that done. Sebastian had the worst study habits of anyone he'd ever met- excluding Grell. Knowing Sebastian, within the hour he'd doze off and drool all over his notes.

It wasn't as though he hadn't thought about an intimate study session with Sebastian. He could only guess what Will and Grell's study sessions were like. He merely reasoned that, if he were to plan a study period, he would prefer to study, not seduce or be seduced.

"_O_kay," Grell said, sarcastically. He began to search for his notes in the abyss of his book-bag. "If you're only studying," he said, his eyes suddenly lighting up, "Then why can't William and I join you? We could have a huge study group!"

Grell was clearly excited at the idea, but William looked furious. Claude realized that, inwardly, he felt the same way about the idea that Will did. It wasn't that he hated spending time with Will or Grell. It wasn't that he didn't like studying with them. He just didn't want to.

"Because _you_ won't get any studying done with Sebastian there," William said, speaking up first. He gave Grell a cold look. The red head sank down a couple inches in his seat with the intensity of the glare.

"Besides," Claude added, "The more people that are there, the more distracted Sebastian will be. It will already be bad enough, since it's a Friday and all. His mind will be other places. I don't really think he intended to spend the night studying with a bunch of gay guys."

"He probably wanted to spend his weekend with _girls_," Grell said, folding his arms and pouting much like a two year old. "Not nice ones either. Reeeallly slutty ones." His eyes narrowed and Claude could almost see the list of girls Grell was thinking of.

"He's entitled to spend his time with whoever he wants," Will reasoned, his voice still chilly. It was obvious he wanted to discuss another topic, but he knew he would have to deal with discussing Sebastian for a few more minutes. "He _is_ straight, after all. At least he was last I checked."

"Damn shame," Grell said, his eyes clouding over dreamily. "He really is a beautiful man."

It was times like these Claude would admit to being thankful for Grell. Grell's obvious obsession with Sebastian made him feel a hell of a lot better about himself. Claude tried to be mature about his feelings for Sebastian, keeping them to himself and trying not to dwell on them. Yet, he couldn't help but feel idiotic every time he wasn't able to perfectly control his thoughts. Grell was the perfect cure for this. As long as Claude never crossed the boundaries Grell did, he was sure he would be just fine.

"We should study," Claude said, clearing his throat. "That's what we came here for, after all." Grell was pulled away from his fantasies and back to reality. He opened his notebook, flipping through the pages to find his current notes.

"Right," Grell said as soon as he found his proper notes. "Study."


	3. Chemistry, Among Other Things

"-And so the iron oxide becomes balanced," Claude said, setting down the pencil. He looked over at Sebastian who heaved a long sigh, and kept his eyes pasted on the chemistry work Claude had just explained.

"So, we're done now, right?" Sebastian asked after a beat, glancing up at Claude. It was Claude's turn to sigh, and he did so, rolling his eyes as well. He shook his head and nudged Sebastian's chemistry book toward him, setting down the pencil.

"I've just done eight different problems. _You_ need to prove that you've learned something," Claude said, grinning devilishly. Sebastian forcefully brought his forehead to the table with a sigh. "None of that," Claude said, sitting back and crossing his legs. "You're being such a drama queen."

Sebastian sat up and took the pencil in his hand. He scooted his chemistry book closer and began to read the problem. A look of intense concentration overcame his face, and he chewed on the end of his pencil as he read. Claude had never really noticed how damn attractive Sebastian was when he concentrated. That could be because it was a rare occasion indeed when Sebastian had enough of an attention span to concentrate in the first place. Sebastian hunched over his notebook and began to scribble furiously. Claude watched him work in silence for several moments, smiling to himself.

"There," Sebastian said, scooting the notebook over to Claude. He set the pencil down triumphantly on the table as Claude looked over his work.

"So maybe you did retain _something_," Claude said, setting Sebastian's notebook down. Sebastian let out a sigh of relief and slouched in his chair once more. It had been a peaceful study session. Claude was content re-teaching the entire chapter to Sebastian. Quite frankly, however, Claude was surprised Sebastian had passed Chemistry I without his help. But Sebastian's protests at studying were minimal, and for the most part he was attentive.

"So, we're done now, right?" Sebastian asked, a glimmer of hope shining in his scarlet eyes.

"I suppose we can take a _break_," Claude relented.

"Sweet," Sebastian exclaimed, his face breaking into a smile. He jumped to his feet heading into the kitchen. "All this chemistry is going to make my head explode." He put his hands on his hips and glanced quickly around. He turned back to Claude. "Are you hungry?"

Both of them knew that was an entirely pointless question. As they were both male, they were always in a constant state of hunger. It seemed like a curse at times; no matter how much or how often they ate, they were never satiated. Claude had merely trained himself to control his hunger; he wasn't rich enough to afford all the food he could eat. As the days passed, Claude found himself to be under the illusion that he was _not_ constantly hungry, though his brain knew this was a lie. Therefore, he took advantage of the opportunity to eat whenever possible.

"Sure," Claude replied. Sebastian ducked into some of the cabinets, pulling out various cooking supplies and ingredients. He set them lazily on the counter and went back for more.

"Come help me," he called from out of Claude's sight. Claude stood and walked to the kitchen. He stared at the ingredients that were out, trying to deduce what type of food Sebastian was aiming to cook.

"Cake," Sebastian said, after glancing at Claude's puzzled expression. "Calm down, it's nothing complicated. You look a little worried," he said laughing. Claude backed out of the kitchen as Sebastian began to mix and pour, stir and beat. His face was calm, and he was making conversation with Claude.

"How was your study group today?" he asked. Claude shrugged and leaned against the counter.

"To be honest, we didn't get much studying done. Well, Will and I _tried_ to, but Grell came in, and you know how that goes."

"Ah, yes, the flamboyant red head," Sebastian said with a smirk. He took a break from stirring the cake batter and got out a smaller bowl. He proceeded to fluidly and quickly pour ingredients into it. Sebastian had had several run ins with Grell, which was to be expected. Grell had never exactly been quiet about his feelings for Sebastian, though Sebastian never really seemed bothered by it. "What was he on about today?"

"Oh, he was mad he wasn't invited to our study group," Claude said sheepishly. He sort of understood why Will didn't like to talk about Sebastian when Grell was around. Claude didn't like to discuss Grell around Sebastian. It was one of the only times he felt jealous, though he had no reason to. It wasn't like Sebastian was about to fall head over heels for Grell. He tried to keep his voice cool and casual, though he wasn't sure he was pulling it off very well.

"You should have invited him," Sebastian said, grinning even wider. He handed the large bowl to Claude. "Will you pour that in the cake pan?" he asked. Claude obeyed, slowly pouring the chocolate batter into the pan. "It certainly would have made things interesting."

"You're such a tease," Claude scoffed, though he laughed a little. "You and I both know Grell wouldn't have got any studying done. You just wanted him to fawn over you."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Sebastian said, his smirk so wide it looked too big for his face. Claude put the cake in the oven and turned back to face Sebastian.

"You're encouraging his bad behavior," Claude said, folding his arms. He couldn't be too stern, he knew that Grell's obsession frequently irritated Sebastian, though he always tried to make light of the situation. He was a pretty good sport about it.

"Maybe _you_ should compliment me more often, then. That way I won't have to hear it from Grell," Sebastian said, winking. Claude rolled his eyes.

"Oh, Sebastian," he said in mock awe. "You're so devilishly handsome! Please, marry me!"

"You're a terrible actor," Sebastian said, stirring rapidly. Ha. If only he knew how much of Claude's life was a front. So far, Claude had been able to successfully mask his feelings for Sebastian, keeping things simple. At the moment, simplicity was best. "Come taste this," Sebastian instructed. Claude walked closer, peering into the bowl childishly.

Sebastian dipped his finger in the thick, chocolate frosting and held it out to Claude. At first, Claude was taken aback. Sebastian was usually one to enjoy his personal space. Maybe he expected Claude to wipe the frosting off his finger with his own. That would make more sense.

Claude hadn't realized how long he had stood there dumbfounded until Sebastian spoke up:

"I asked you to taste it, not stand there and drool like an idiot. Now hurry up," he said, laughing. "I need to know if I can keep this." As if answering Claude's internal question he brought his finger to Claude's lips. Claude allowed the slender, pale finger to slip past his lips and into his mouth.

His taste buds instantly exploded with rich flavor, not only of the chocolate, but the taste of Sebastian. He eagerly sucked all the frosting away, letting his tongue run up and down Sebastian's finger for several moments. Sebastian tasted… dark. It was the only word Claude could think of to describe him. He tasted like dark chocolate; intensely clear and satisfying, yet incredibly mysterious and unsatisfying.

Sebastian brought Claude back to Earth with a solid bump as he slid his finger out of Claude's mouth. He studied Claude's face for a moment. Claude, feeling his cheeks growing incredibly hot, tried to cover his satisfaction.

"Good?" Sebastian asked, with a small smile. Claude nodded, too embarrassed to say anything. Sebastian smiled wider, placing the bowl of frosting by the oven. He pulled the steaming cake out of the oven, setting it aside to cool. "What time is it?" he asked Claude, his mischievous smirk tugging at his lips.

"Close to ten thirty," Claude replied finding his voice. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Sebastian said, shrugging. "Should we get back to chemistry?" he asked innocently. Claude was about to ask what sort of disease Sebastian had been diagnosed with, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. He sighed and walked toward the door, praying that Grell hadn't decided to show up anyway. As he pulled the door open, he was greeted by a tall, muscular blonde with a cigarette hanging lazily out of his mouth.

"Hey, Claude," he said. "Is Sebastian here?"

"You're not allowed to smoke in the halls, Bard," Claude pointed out, ignoring the question. Claude didn't hate Bard, really he didn't. Bard just had a habit of showing up at all the wrong times. Now it would be hard to convince Sebastian to stay and study. Claude completely understood; why stay at home studying with your gay friend when you could go out and party with your smoking- no pun intended- hetero friend?

"Sebastian's not here, is he?" Bard said, confirming what he thought he already knew. "Of course he's not. It's Friday," Bard's small smile grew into a large grin. Claude should have figured something was going to happen, but he didn't. Not in time, anyway.

His vision was suddenly blocked. Was there a black bag over his head?

"Bard," he groaned. "What the hell?" He was being prodded forward. Claude began to walk, too shocked to put up much of a resistance.

"Wasn't my idea," Bard responded, the grin still apparent in his voice.

"You're going to hang out with us," Sebastian said in his ear. "It's a Friday night, Claude. Live a little."

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><p><strong><span>A\N:<span>** So, I swear I meant to update this story more often... I swear! My house has been... well, a zoo. We have seven extra people staying with us (and I already live in a family of eight!) with ages ranging from 48 to 6, so it's needless to say, the adventures have never stopped. So, yes, I finally got time to post another chapter! By the way, thanks so much to all of you who set the story to your alert. It's good to know that I'm interesting\entertaining some people! Thanks, guys! Hope this chapter was worth the wait!

PS- Reviews are SO totally appreciated... :)


	4. Take Me Out

"What I want to know is when it occurred to you that the black bag would be necessary," Claude said, raising his voice to be heard over the loud music. He was following Sebastian to a table in the back of the club, glad to be away from the large mass of bodies entangling themselves in each other.

"I dunno," Sebastian shrugged, still grinning. "I just saw it lying around and used it spur of the moment."

"Never a good idea," Claude said under his breath. He had learned from experience that it should be illegal for Sebastian to do _anything_ spur of the moment. It always ended badly. Though Claude had been unwillingly ripped from the safety of his apartment, he hoped the same rules wouldn't apply to tonight.

"Don't complain," Sebastian said, sliding into a chair. "You're gonna be fine. What's _one_ night of partying going to do to you?" Claude sat next to Sebastian, taking a swig of his drink.

"You really want me to make a list?" he asked, deciding to be a smart ass. Both he and Sebastian knew the list of possible situations they would end up in before the night was over could be endless.

"No," Sebastian grumbled, turning to his own drink. "Just shut up and drink your beer." There was a beat of silence between the two of them. Claude smirked to himself. Sebastian enjoyed being a pain in the ass when it was time to study, so Claude was well within his rights to give Sebastian just as much crap when they were out.

"We're over here," Claude heard Bard say. He glanced around, searching for the tall blonde. Almost as soon as he saw Bard, he saw the two females that were with him: Hannah and Mey Rin. Claude never had a problem with Hannah. If he were straight, she'd probably be the kind of girl he'd like. She was quiet and only assertive when she needed to be. Her passiveness was especially apparent around Mey Rin. Mey Rin was loud and boisterous, always dragging Hannah along. Claude supposed he was jealous of Mey Rin. She had always had a thing for Sebastian, and though Sebastian had never really accepted her advances, he hadn't shunned them either. Sebastian and Mey Rin told everyone they were only friends, but Claude wasn't an idiot.

As the trio sat, Mey Rin instantly engaged Sebastian in a conversation. Claude listened to what he could hear of their conversation for as long as possible, before finally losing interest. Mey Rin had convinced Sebastian to dance with her, and Bard had long since disappeared. Hannah and Claude sat at the table relishing in the silence for several moments.

"You got dragged into this too, didn't you?" Claude asked, taking another drink. Hannah nodded. He flashed an understanding smile. "Here's to the designated drivers," he laughed, raising his beer. She laughed, following suit.

"God, Mey Rin is disgusting sometimes," Hannah said, her eyes looking out into the mass of jumbled bodies. Claude didn't bother to follow her gaze. He'd seen Sebastian and Mey Rin together loads of times. He wasn't sure he could stomach the sight right now, anyway.

"How's Luka?" Claude asked, attempting to make conversation. Hannah shrugged, blushing a little.

"He's fine," she said. "He's coming to visit in a few weeks."

"Just think," Claude said, teasingly, "Next year, he'll have graduated. He'll be all grown up and out of high school." His comment earned an elbow jab from Hannah.

"Oh, shut up," she said, laughing a little. "You can't judge." It was true; Claude was guilty of having dated a high schooler. And one _much_ younger than Luka. He preferred to stick to the belief that it was Hannah's fault. She'd introduced them, after all. "How _is_ Alois by the way?" Hannah asked, smirking at him.

"Haven't talked to him since the break up," Claude said, feeling a little guilty.

"You haven't talked to him for a _year?_" Hannah asked in disbelief. Claude merely nodded, trying to appear as apathetic as possible. "Why not?"

"It's a long story," he admitted. "But mostly, it's because I just want him to be able to let go." He sighed. His relationship with Alois seemed like it had occurred millennia ago. He was young and naïve when he'd dated the boy. Alois was younger and far more naïve. It was a rocky relationship, resulting in a lot of fights. It got to the point where Claude felt like he was Alois' _mother_ more than his boyfriend. Alois was always finding some way to get in trouble or some other boy to make eyes at, and hated when Claude scolded him for it. In the end, Claude realized that they were better off apart.

Claude glanced over at Hannah, who'd been staring at him wordlessly for the past few moments. He half expected her to be angry, but there was a small smile twitching at the edge of her lips.

"What?" he asked, almost hesitantly.

"You're impossible to stay mad at," she said shrugging. "I expected you to come up with some lame ass excuse, but I find that you actually _care_ about Alois' feelings."

"Of course I care," he said, almost offended. "I'm not a _total_ asshole." Hannah laughed and a comfortable lull in conversation fell between them. Their peace was short lived, however, as they were approached by a tall, thin boy with an apparent interest in Hannah.

Claude tried not to pay too much attention to their conversation, assuming Hannah would go dance with the boy. Claude's assumptions were wrong, however, and there was a sharp noise. As Claude glanced over, he saw the boy clutching his cheek, and Hannah shaking with rage.

"Try that again and you'll regret it," she said darkly. She settled back into her seat, thought the boy didn't seem as daunted by Hannah's willingness to fight back as she thought he would.

"Don't be such a prude," he said, walking towards her again. Claude glared at the boy, catching his wrist just as he reached for Hannah.

"She told you to knock it off," Claude said darkly. "I think you'd best leave." He released the boy's wrist. Hannah gave him a glance of silent thanks.

"Well is she with you?" the boy asked, clearly not taking the hint. "'Cause if not, I'm going to make my move."

"You've made it," Claude said, growing agitated. "You were rejected. Take a walk, pretty boy." The obnoxious boy laughed loudly. It was becoming increasingly more apparent just how trashed he was.

"Pretty boy?" he asked. "Gee, I've never had a _guy_ call me that before. Are you into that kind of shit?" Claude sighed.

"Yes," he said, bluntly. "But trust me, you're not my type," he stood, knowing full well what was about to happen. "Are you going to leave, or what?"

"Not without-" the boy reached for Hannah, but she grabbed his wrist, stopping his advances. Claude took advantage of the opportunity, and knocked the boy several feet backwards with a punch to the jaw. Claude had been in plenty of fights in his short life. He never enjoyed them, seeing as he usually got his ass kicked. But he figured he'd have an even chance this time, since his opponent was drunk.

He was wrong.

The boy retaliated quickly, knocking Claude backwards. All Claude felt was a stinging in his jaw, and thick warmth that he assumed was blood. He was lightheaded. For a drunk kid, he still packed a punch.

"Oh my God," Hannah said, kneeling down at his side. "Are you alright, Claude?" Claude, who was absolutely certain he'd lost several thousand brain cells, just laughed. He turned his head to the site and spat out the blood that was in his mouth.

"This is the last time I'm ever going to be nice to you," he smiled. His rational brain- or what was left of it- was wondering why the hell he though sarcasm was appropriate at the moment. He stood, staggering slightly.

"If you don't interfere, I'm gone," said the boy. "But if you wanna play the gallant hero game, I'm gonna hand you your ass."

"Who's your friend, Claude?" Sebastian asked, staggering up to the two of them. Great. Claude was hardly equipped to handle situation at hand. The last thing he needed to worry about was babysitting a trashed Sebastian.

Sebastian glanced between Claude, Hannah, and the boy, somehow picking up the vibes of hostility- even in his drunken state.

"Shit, Claude," he said, his eyes widening. "Are you _bleeding_?" Claude brought his wrist to his mouth, attempting to wipe away the blood that must be there. He winced at the contact. Sebastian turned to the boy, trying to be intimidating. "The hell do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"Defending myself," the boy said, sticking his chin out defiantly. "I didn't do anything to _him_."

"So sexual harassment isn't grounds to get beat up?" Claude asked, some of the feeling in his head starting to return to him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the boy said, obviously trying to cover up his earlier actions.

"Maybe I should refresh your memory," Sebastian said, lunging at the boy. Claude was sure he was missing something. He was under the impression that, when drunk, one lost most of their sense of coordination and logic. Sebastian's logic was clearly diminished, but he lunged gracefully (for a drunkard) at the boy. Claude could hardly hold his own when he was _sober_. It wasn't that he was weak, he was far from it, he'd just never been good at fighting. His eyes tried to follow the boy and Sebastian, but they were moving too fast. Perhaps Claude's lightheadedness hindered him from keeping up.

After a moment, the boy collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain. Sebastian, still standing, walked toward Claude and Hannah victoriously. He had a dumb grin on his face, though it was quite apparent he'd gotten his fair share of a beating. He was sure to have a swollen lip similar to Claude's, a black eye, and several bruises.

"Problem solved," he said, still grinning. "How come you guys have all the fun without me?" he asked, his face falling a little.

"I'd hardly call a bar fight _fun_," Claude said, leading Sebastian to a chair. Hannah tagged along behind.

"You two are lucky that didn't end badly," she said, though it was apparent she was grateful for their actions on her behalf.

"It did for that ass," Sebastian said, jerking his head in the direction of the boy.

"I wasn't about to let him do anything to you, Hannah," Claude said, as they both ignored Sebastian's drunken interjection.

"I'm sure you'll question that when you see your fat lip," she smirked. Claude hadn't really thought about it for a moment, but as soon as his thoughts returned to his mouth, the pain flooded back once more. He gingerly ran his tongue along the inside of his bottom lip.

"Yeah," Sebastian said, leaning forward. He took on a more serious tone. "How is your lip?" He gently placed his cool fingers against Claude's swollen lips.

"Painful," Claude said, slightly jerking back at Sebastian's touch. The cool temperature of his fingers was soothing, but the pressure was almost more than he could stand.

A smile fluttered to Sebastian's face. "You never were very good at fighting."

"And you were never very good at staying out of trouble," Claude retorted. "Come on. I think we've lived enough for one night. We need to get you home." Claude helped Sebastian to stand.

"Let me take you home," Hannah offered. "It's the least I can do."

"We'll be fine," Claude assured her. "I'm sober, remember?" Hannah shook her head.

"You hit your head on the floor pretty hard. You might have a concussion. You're not driving. Besides, I'm not going to stay here." She stood on the other side of Sebastian and helped Claude lead him out of the club.

Just as Claude had predicted; Sebastian's spur of the moment Friday night? Horrible idea.

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN: **Sorry for the long break between updates! I've been super busy with the curse known as Chemistry II! I was also kind of suffering from writer's block... and I just happened to get over it. :) I would like to thank all of you for the lovely reviews and for adding this story to alert\favorites. Special thanks to Mademoiselle Violet for being my first reviewer (I would have sent a PM, but I couldn't... D:) Thank you all!


	5. Time and Space

Claude wished they had more bags of frozen peas. He cursed and shut the freezer, shuffling back into the living room. He plopped himself down on the couch next to Sebastian. Sebastian had four bags of frozen peas, pressed on various places of his body. He looked awful, really.

"Thanks for coming tonight, Claude," Sebastian said, through his swollen and numb lips. Claude smiled, though he immediately regretted it when the biting pain in his lip acted up.

"I didn't really have much of a choice in the matter," he said, "But I suppose you're welcome."

"We should do it again," Sebastian said giddily, still clearly not coherent.

"I don't think so," Claude laughed. "You can't take another beating like that anytime soon." Sebastian shrugged, but he knew Claude was right. Claude absentmindedly raised his fingers to his own swollen lips, lightly pressing down. His fingers were cold enough to squelch some of the painful heat radiating from them, though the relief only lasted briefly.

"Here," Sebastian said, tossing a bag of frozen peas at Claude. Claude shook his head, offering the bag back to Sebastian.

"You need it more than I do," he said.

"Just take it," Sebastian said. "My lips are so cold I can't freaking feel them anyway." He pressed the bag of frozen peas to Claude's lips, finalizing his answer. Claude grabbed Sebastian's wrist, pulling away slightly, causing the pressure on his lips to lessen to a more comfortable pain.

Sebastian licked his lips, obviously trying to bring back some sort feeling. He smiled a little bit.

"Does it look like the swelling's gone down?" he asked Claude, leaning in a little.

"No," Claude laughed, his voice muffled against the bag of peas Sebastian held to his lips. Sebastian's hopeful expression fell slightly.

"How are you feeling?" Sebastian asked. Claude was a little bit shocked that Sebastian was still worrying about his welfare.

"How am _I_?" he asked. "I'm giddy compared to how you should be feeling. I just got punched once."

"You didn't have to get punched at all," Sebastian said, speaking to Claude as though he were a little child. "You could have just found me."

"I'm sorry, it didn't occur to me that the drunkest person in attendance was going to protect me," Claude said laughing darkly.

"I resent that," Sebastian said weakly. "I was _not _the most drunk. That was Bard, I think." Sebastian sighed. "Besides, I've had your back for how many years now?" he asked. "I don't think a little alcohol is going to stop me." He grinned, though his grin was smaller than normal to avoid pain.

Sebastian was right. He'd had Claude's back for many years. From the first day they'd met.

"_If I ever see you look at me like that again, I swear I'll murder you," the tall boy growled. He was too close to Claude's face for comfort. Claude wanted to hit him, but he knew better. His mom would be mad if he got in another fight. She was always telling him to be the "better man."_

"_I'm sorry," Claude muttered, looking at the ground. The boy released Claude's shirt, still glaring evilly. "I didn't mean anything by it. I don't have a thing for _girls_," he said, smirking. Screw what his mom said. She didn't know how much crap he got at school. Besides, if he didn't technically instigate the fight, she couldn't get mad, could she?_

_The boy, clearly angered, jabbed Claude in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain. The boy kicked Claude over. If looks could kill, Claude was certain he'd be dead. He couldn't see much of anything though; his glasses had flown off his face when he fell to the floor._

"_You have the guts to call _me_ a girl?" the boy glowered. He dug the toe of his shoe into Claude's ribs. Claude struggled to stand, even sit, but it was useless. If he tried to move, he only increased his pain._

"_What got shoved up _your _ass?" a new voice inquired. The boy stepped off Claude and turned his attention to the newcomer. Sebastian was shorter then, but he still towered over most people his age. His black hair was just as unkempt as ever and his eyes glinted as he smirked at the boy._

"_Stay out of this," the boy muttered to Sebastian. "You'd do the same thing, if you knew what had happened."_

"_Well, I've got time," Sebastian said, folding his arms. "Why don't you fill me in?" The boy glowered at him._

"_I don't like to be hit on by other boys," the boy spat. Sebastian laughed, throwing the other boy off guard. "What's so funny?" he asked._

"_I don't think you should flatter yourself so much," Sebastian said. He picked up Claude's glasses and offered his hand to Claude. "This kid is way out of your league." Claude stood with the help of Sebastian, radiating gratitude. He accepted his glasses from Sebastian, finally granted his vision. He blushed heavily at the sight of his rescuer._

"_Yeah," the other boy scoffed. "You two are probably in the same league, so I'll just leave you to it." The boy turned to leave, but Sebastian tapped him on the shoulder. When the boy turned around, he was greeted by Sebastian's fist. Stunned, the boy fell back several steps._

"_Come on," Sebastian said, grabbing Claude's arm. Claude blushed furiously at their contact, but followed the boy out of the school. When they had placed a safe distance between themselves and the school, they stopped. They were both grinning and out of breath._

"_Sebastian Michaelis," Sebastian said, offering Claude his hand."I'm new here." Claude shook it hesitantly._

"_Claude Faustus," he said softly. "Thanks for that." Sebastian laughed._

"_No problem," he assured. Claude was a bit unnerved. No boy was ever comfortable around him. Most boys avoided him like the plague. Such was the curse of growing up in a small town. There were only a few boys who picked on him, but the others were still obviously on edge around him. Sebastian was the first boy who'd ever been comfortable around him._

"_Don't let those idiots get to you," he said. His smile faltered when he sensed Claude's edginess. "What's eating you?" he asked._

"_You don't mind?" he asked, his though incredibly broken and making hardly any sense. Sebastian laughed again, the sound becoming beautiful to Claude._

"_Nah," Sebastian said shrugging. "I don't mind if you bat for the other team," he winked at Claude, intuitively picking up on what he was hinting at. That was something else Claude loved about Sebastian. He was never really one to beat around the bush. "More girls for me," Sebastian said, stretching lazily. "Now, if there's anything fun to do in this hell hole, you'll have to show me, 'cause I don't trust anyone else."_

"_Well, yeah, after school we could-" Claude started. He had been excited to be Sebastian's tour guide. He felt he owed the boy, and to be perfectly honest, he wouldn't mind spending an afternoon alone with him._

"_-After?" Sebastian whined._

"_Yes. I'm not about to let you get in trouble on your first day," Claude said, crossing his arms. Sebastian sighed._

"_You're too kind," he said, sarcastically, but grinned all the same._

"_Hey," Claude shrugged. "You've got my back, I've got yours."_

It was late. Claude was finishing cleaning up the mess they'd left in the kitchen prior to their club escapade. He grabbed his pack of peas from the freezer again, intending to return it to Sebastian. When he walked back into the living room, the first think he laid eyes on was a sleeping Sebastian. Despite all of the pain he was in, Sebastian was lazily sprawled out over the couch, his limbs in awkward positions. Claude smiled to himself as he picked Sebastian's discarded pea packages up from off the floor. They were no longer frozen, so Claude returned them to the freezer. He grabbed a blanket from Sebastian's bed and walked back into the living room, gently placing it over his friend's body.

Claude noted that the swelling in Sebastian's lips had gone down ever so slightly. He gently ran his fingers across them, wondering for a moment what they would taste like. He quickly shrugged off the thought. Sebastian was the best friend Claude had ever asked for. They weren't about to become anything more than friends. Claude had just started to get good at pretending that was okay with him. Now that he thought about it, it really _was_ okay with him. He would rather have Sebastian as a friend than not at all.

He settled on the floor next to the couch with a blanket of his own. If Sebastian needed ice or medicine, Claude would be there to get it for him. He didn't trust that Sebastian could do those things on his own, anyway. Pain and hangovers were a bad combination for Sebastian's judgment. Besides, Claude didn't mind taking care of him. He kind of owed Sebastian anyway.

As he settled in, he heard Sebastian mumble in his sleep. Claude may have been overly tired, causing him to incorrectly interpret what he heard, but he smiled all the same.

The fact that Sebastian had just muttered Claude's name in his sleep pretty much made up for the whole night.


	6. An Unexpected Guest

Claude roused with the smells of food wafting through the air. Sunlight was streaming in the living room, warming his bare chest. He stretched, his muscles slightly sore from resting on the floor. He was slightly surprised to see that Sebastian was not asleep on the couch; it may be late in the morning, but it wasn't the usual time his companion would be awake.

Claude trudged into the kitchen to find Sebastian busying himself with breakfast preparations. Claude was slightly surprised; Sebastian was never awake in time to prepare breakfast.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Sebastian said with a smile. He gave Claude a one over and chuckled to himself. "You look like hell."

"You don't look too hot, either," Claude mumbled under his breath, feeling slightly snippy. It was true; Sebastian's usually flawless skin was tainted by several dark bruises, his lip looked incredibly painful, and his right eye was surrounded by a ring of purple.

Sebastian merely shrugged and continued on with his work. He was lining up several bowls of different flavored yogurt, and alongside that, several bowls of fruit. He then proceeded to present Claude with a steaming stack of crepes on a plate. Claude's mouth watered.

"I can't recall the last time you made breakfast," Claude remarked, teasingly. Sebastian only laughed.

"I swear I thought you were dead this morning," he retorted. "I got up at eleven thirty and you were still passed out on the floor." Sebastian snatched a couple of crepes from Claude's plate and began to smother them in yogurt and pour generous amounts of fruit on top. "Hannah called, by the way," he added, once he had taken a ridiculously large bite of his finished crepe. "Said she's coming over at three."

"What for?" Claude sighed. He wasn't irritated at Hannah, he just wasn't in the mood for company. Frankly, all he wanted to do was curl up in bed and stay there until Monday's bleak morning dawned.

"Dunno," Sebastian shrugged. "She said something about lunch. I wasn't really paying attention. But you're on your own. I have to work this afternoon."

"Please tell me you mentioned that to Hannah," Claude said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know Mey Rin's going to want to come and see you. I _really_ don't want to-"

"-Relax!" Sebastian said, putting his hands up in defense. "I already talked to Mey Rin. We're going to hang out after I get off work. _Not_ in the apartment," he added the last bit the second he saw the irritated look on Claude's face. Claude picked at his crepe, his cloudy mood dampening everything. Silence filled the kitchen for a moment.

"What are you doing the Friday after next?" Sebastian asked after a moment. His scarlet eyes were lit up. Claude racked his brain, trying to think what the date would be.

"Probably nothing, why?" he asked half-heartedly. He was hardly in the mood to plan another "Friday night out" with Sebastian, especially since they were both paying dearly for the last one.

"Oh, well, my friend is turning twenty-two, and I decided I should throw a party for him. You should totally come. It'll probably be lame, though," Sebastian smirked. Claude raised an eyebrow at his friend, whose satisfaction briefly dissipated. After a moment, Sebastian's invitation made sense.

"You're planning me a lame party, huh?" Claude said, cracking the first grin of the morning. His bitter mood was beginning to melt away; Sebastian was usually quite forgetful. Remembering a birthday was a big step of improvement.

"What are friends for?" he winked.

* * *

><p>After finishing their (incredibly late) breakfast, Sebastian and Claude worked side by side cleaning the kitchen. The work was easy and didn't take too long. While Sebastian showered and dressed for work, Claude straightened up the living room. It was in shambles, though he had hardly cared- or even noticed- the night before. Since guests were coming, Claude figured it would be a good idea to at least make the apartment <em>appear<em> presentable.

"Well, I'm off," Sebastian called to Claude. Claude looked up from his work in time to bid a short good-bye to a sharply dressed Sebastian. Sebastian worked at the Dean's office, and was required to dress "professionally"; which meant button down shirt, tie, and slacks. Sebastian pretended to be irritated at his work dress code, and would rebelliously roll up his sleeves or leave the top few buttons on his shirt alone. It was quite apparent, however, that Sebastian was well aware of how great he looked.

"Be back by curfew!" Claude teased, calling after his friend. He was met by a laugh in response.

"Yes, mom," Sebastian replied, exiting the apartment.

Knowing that, once Sebastian's work was over, he was going to be spending time with Mey Rin bugged Claude. It was jealousy, yes. Though, Claude felt it was justified. Did Mey Rin nurse Sebastian's injuries last night? No. Did Mey Rin babysit Sebastian even when she didn't want to? No. Had Mey Rin known Sebastian as long as Claude had? No. But, Claude had learned- and accepted- a long time ago that life was a bitch. There was only so much he could do, and the rest he had to leave alone.

Claude shuffled off to the bathroom to shower. He stood under the warm water, letting it soak into his skin and soothe the aches. He wished his problems would just wash away down the drain. He sighed. If Sebastian wanted to be with Mey Rin, he could be with Mey Rin. And it only made logical sense. Sebastian and Mey Rin were both outgoing, attractive people. There were few reasons why they _wouldn't_ be attracted to each other. Claude assured himself that he was being overly dramatic about the whole thing. Claude found it quite elementary to hate Mey Rin, just because Sebastian showed interest in her. If he didn't stop acting like a child, he feared he'd probably start believing in cooties again.

Claude exited the bathroom and sauntered down the hall to his room to find a clean shirt. From the abyss of his closet he heard a knock at his door. He leaned his head out of the closet, noting that it was just after three. He was expecting Hannah.

"It's open," he called from his room. He heard the apartment door open and close. "I'm in my room, I'll be out in a sec," he called again. He grabbed one of the first clean shirts he had and turned out of his closet. He was in the process of sliding his shirt over his head when he was greeted by a tinkling voice and a pair of bright blue eyes.

"Looking great as ever, Claude."

Claude froze, halfway in his shirt, halfway out. He stared at the figure before him, unsure of what to do. He was unsure of how he was reacting internally; he didn't know if he should be happy, sad, angry, or annoyed. He was definitely feeling a mixture of all of those emotions at the moment.

"Where's Hannah?" he asked, dumbly. The tinkling voice let out a laugh Claude had heard so many times. It was one he'd grown accustomed to, and even missed on occasion.

"She's coming," the blue eyes informed him. "I dunno when she'll get here though," the boy walked towards him. Hurriedly, Claude finished pulling his shirt on. "I thought we could use some time to catch up," said the blue eyed boy, wrapping his arms around Claude's waist. "It's been a while."

Claude froze, allowing the boy the close contact, though Claude was hardly enjoying it. He had learned from experience, however, that it was easier to just tolerate whatever torture the blue eyed boy put you through. He peered down at the small, smirking boy over the rim of his glasses.

"Yes it has, Alois."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Okay, so just for the record, writer's block has been kicking my butt. Hardcore. I had intended to update a long time ago, but I wasn't really happy with what I had written, etc, etc. So here, like two weeks later, I'm finally updating my crap. Apologies to you, I really need to get on the ball. PS- In the time that I've been a hardcore slacker, I've had lots of great feedback. Thanks guys ;)


	7. A Reunion of Sorts

After several minutes of persuasion, Alois had left Claude's bedroom for (what Claude had assured him was) a more comfortable perch on the sofa. Claude sighed as he finished dressing. He wasn't really sure what to think about Alois' sudden reappearance in his life. There wasn't really much that he felt he _could_ think. It seemed the only sane thought in his head was telling to gather his wits about him.

Alois was such a strange boy; no matter how much he managed to piss you off, he'd find ways to make it up to you. Right now, Alois was managing to piss Claude off, even though he hadn't really done much. Yet at the same time, seeing Alois wasn't all that unwelcome, either. Claude wasn't above re-opening communications with Alois, as long as the boy showed signs that he'd moved on. In fact, Claude wasn't even considering opening up the possibility of anything other than friendship with the young boy. It _had_ been a year since their relationship, after all. If Claude had moved on, who's to say Alois hadn't? The boy had plenty of spunk, energy, and was certainly attractive. He chided himself, realizing that Alois hadn't really been trying to "re-kindle" a fire with Claude. This was, so far, nothing more than a friendly visit.

Claude exited his room with his hands balled tightly into fists, though he hardly noticed. Alois' eyes brightened as he saw the older man walk into the room and sit next to him.

"You know how I just told you you looked great?" Alois asked with a mischievous smile. "Well, I lied. You kinda look like shit." Alois giggled, and Claude couldn't help but join in with the laughter. If Alois was joking around, that meant he didn't take the whole situation too seriously. And he wasn't trying too hard to impress Claude.

"Well it's not every day I survive a bar fight," Claude smiled with mock pride. "I was pretty kick ass, if I may say so myself."

"Who beat up the guy for you?" Alois asked, hugging a couch pillow to his chest.

"What are you talking about? Is it really that hard to believe that I won a fight?" Claude asked, slightly offended. Alois just let out another tinkling laugh.

"Oh, c'mon, Claude. I know you wanna be Mr. Tough Guy, but you just don't have it in you. When we dated and that guy was hitting on me, you tried to be my knight in shining armor and ended up getting your ass kicked. It can't be too much different now," Alois smiled at the memory.

"You told me it was more of an 'A for effort' situation. At least I got that guy to stop calling you whatever it was," Claude said, remembering that night all too well.

"Hot buns, or something lame like that," Alois said. "Yeah, I'm glad that stopped."

"That guy was a creep," Claude said, shuddering a little. "He was _way_ too old for you anyway."

"Says _you_, Mr. Cradle-Robber," Alois laughed, throwing his pillow at Claude.

"Okay," Claude said, barely dodging the pillow. "I would greatly appreciate it if we could stop beating up my already heavily wounded pride. How are things with you, then, Mister Perfect?"

"Well," said Alois leaning his head on Claude's shoulder. "Basically high school blows chunks. All the kids want to do is talk shit about everyone. And then there's all the actual _work_. I really don't know how you managed to do it."

Alois continued talking, filling up the silence. Talking was a habit of Alois' and towards the end of their relationship, Claude had found it rather irritating. For some reason, it was nice to hear the kid talk again. Talk like old times. Claude listened; sometimes he listened to the actual words coming from Alois' mouth, sometimes he listened to the sound of his voice, sometimes he listened for minutes before Alois took a breath. The nostalgia of it all made Claude wonder why he'd been so pissed off to see Alois in the first place. Sure, it was unexpected, but he was being the prick in this situation. Alois had obviously wanted nothing more than to just talk. To make amends. To fix their broken and fragmented relationship. It had been so long since Claude had been with anybody he romantically cared for (and that returned that sentiment) that the sudden companionship was nice. What had he been so afraid of? As he listened to Alois talk, a flood of memories came back. They were memories that he originally remembered as painful or dull. He'd only been remembering them wrong. When he was with Alois, nothing was dull.

"-too long before I get that high school diploma in my hand. God. But aside from getting in bar fights, what have you been up to?" Alois asked, finally allowing the attention to shift back to Claude. Claude shrugged, grinning widely.

"Oh, just tutoring and working. Trying to stay in school and pay the bills."

"Dude, your lip is bleeding. You're not supposed to smile, you idiot," Alois laughed. Claude felt his lip, it had indeed split open again, though the bleeding wasn't heavy. He hadn't really noticed how much it had been hurting.

Alois jumped off the couch. "Don't move, you invalid. I got this." He skipped off into the kitchen and returned moments later with a wet paper towel and a small pack of frozen peas wrapped in a towel. He half straddled, half stood in front of Claude, using the wet paper towel to wipe off Claude's lip. He gently dabbed, but the slight touch made Claude wince a little. "Don't be a pussy," Alois laughed, though he made more of an effort to be gentle.

"I'm not being a pussy," Claude protested. "My lip is split and friggin' hurts. You're being too violent, nurse." Claude smiled again. Alois gently slapped his cheek.

"I told you to stop smiling," he laughed. "Here," Alois gently placed the ice pack up to Claude's lip. The cool ice brought immediate relief. Claude sighed. "Hold that there until I get back." Alois left the room with the paper towel. Claude heard the sink turn on and then off again before Alois returned to the room. "How does it feel?" he asked.

"Better," Claude said, removing the ice. His lip certainly didn't hurt enough to keep ice on it for more than a minute. Besides, the bleeding had stopped rather quickly. "What's the verdict? Am I going to live?"

Alois leaned forward to examine Claude's lip, stroking an imaginary beard. He placed one of his cold, slender fingers gently on Claude's lip.

"Does this hurt?" he asked. Claude shook his head. Alois added a little more pressure with his finger. "Now?" he asked again. Claude shook his head. Alois leaned in and gently kissed him. Claude knew it was coming. But, he wasn't as repulsed by the idea of kissing Alois as he would have been half an hour ago. The two were able to fall right back into where they left off.

Claude returned Alois' kisses, gently as well. He'd forgotten how much he missed the feel of Alois' lips against his. They were soft, warm. Alois settled onto Claude's lap as their kissing continued. Claude was completely content except for the nagging voice at the back of his head, trying to remind him of-

"Hey, Claude," Hannah's voice interrupted, causing Claude and Alois to jump. "I see that you've learned that Alois is in town." Claude tried to read her expression, but the only adjective he could come up with to describe it was disappointment. He was in for a long scolding that was for sure.

"Well, I think you'll be alright, just follow doctor's orders and don't smile for a few days," Alois smiled. He stood. "I gotta run. I'm gonna meet Luka at Subway for lunch. See you around, Claude. Hanna," he nodded in parting.

Hannah waited for the sound of the closing door before she rounded on Claude.

"Um, what in the _hell_?"

* * *

><p><strong>A\N:<strong> So, no lie, I fell off the face of the planet. Sorry about that. It wasn't writer's block or anything. I was just really lazy and really busy. BUT, I started writing this chapter, and forgot how much I loved this story. So I AM BACK. And my goal is to never leave this hanging for several months on end. Seriously. And thanks for all the positive feedback in my absence. You guys, you're just too cool... :)


	8. Questions and Answers

"What do you want me to say?" Claude asked after a pregnant pause. Hannah just scoffed and took her place on the couch next to Claude.

"I guess I just thought that you were really serious about moving on," she said, crossing her arms.

"I am," Claude said defensively. "Alois and I…" He sighed. Nothing he said would make up for the fact that he'd just made out with Alois. "When he walked in here, I-"

"-When you told me that you cared about Alois' feelings, I knew you weren't lying," Hannah said, cutting in rather gracefully.

"I still _do _care about his feelings!" Claude cried. "That has to be part of my problem! I mean, I care so much about his feelings that our relationship just picked up right where we left off! Maybe that means that we didn't give things full closure, I dunno. I just… I'm sorry."

"Well," Hannah sighed. "For the first time in about a year, he did look actually happy. I just think that maybe you should worry less about Alois' feelings and more about your own. Yesterday you were completely sure you wanted no romantic involvement with him. And today, well…"

"I know, you're right," Claude sighed again. He wasn't entirely sure worrying about his own feelings would help his situation any. His feelings had the tendency to change in a split second. One minute, he was hating Alois- who had the nerve to show up to his apartment on a whim- and the very next he was feeling guilty for his hatred and doing something he promised himself wouldn't happen.

Not to mention the fact that he felt like he had cheated on Sebastian. Which was completely ridiculous. He knew Sebastian could care less who Claude spent his time sucking face with. However, Sebastian's indifference to the situation didn't change the fact that Claude felt incredibly guilty and undeserving. If he wanted Sebastian so badly, messing around with other people wasn't exactly helping his situation.

He didn't _want_ Alois, yet, he couldn't control himself. Perhaps there were still feelings he had for Alois that he hadn't addressed. He didn't want to; he wanted to leave the past in the past. He wanted the "ex" in "ex-lover" to be a constant, not a variable. Ignoring his feelings, however, wasn't going to do anyone much good.

He almost wished he could just confess to Hannah everything that was running through his head right now. Perhaps his jumbled thoughts would manage to adequately explain what was happening to him. And even if _he_ didn't understand what was happening to him, maybe Hannah would. Besides, it _would_ be nice to share his secret with someone else. He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. The nagging voice in the back of his brain had returned. It wasn't time. Not yet. Claude wasn't really sure _when_ would be the _right_ time, and why the right time wasn't _now_, but he figured he should just shut up and follow his gut.

"This whole emotional confusion thing," Claude moaned, "This is what it feels like to be a girl, isn't it?" Hannah laughed.

"Oh, darling, you have no idea," she said, grinning broadly.

Claude sighed, happy to drop the conversation. He hadn't meant for things to end up the way that they did. It just, sort of… happened.

"Anyway, how are you feeling?" Hannah asked, tactfully changing the subject.

"I'm alright," Claude shrugged. Hannah studied his face, flicking her silver braid behind her shoulder.

"Can you keep a secret?" She asked, after a moment.

"About what?" Claude asked, feeling uncomfortable under Hannah's steely gaze.

"Just answer the damn question," She sighed in feigned exasperation.

"Yeah, I can keep a secret," Claude replied. He'd been keeping secrets since he was a prepubescent boy. There was nothing that Hannah could throw at him that he would have a hard time keeping a secret, especially considering his current condition. But, of course, Hannah couldn't know about _that_ secret. Not yet, anyway.

"Okay, so Sebastian recruited me to help plan your birthday," She gushed. "And most of it is supposed to be a surprise, but I seriously need your help."

"So you want me to help you and then _act_ surprised," Claude summarized, giving a short laugh.

"Yeah, basically," Hannah said. "I already talked Sebastian out of several party ideas, for which you should be thanking me."

"Oh, God," Claude groaned, laughing again. "I know I sort of agreed to let him plan my birthday, but now that I think about it, it really was a horrible idea wasn't it?"

"You're telling me," Hannah agreed, joining in with the laughter. "Do you remember your birthday last year that Sebastian remembered at the last second? He wanted to repeat that."

"Well, thank God you're here," Claude said, patting her head sarcastically.

"So basically, he put me in charge of all the crap he didn't want to do," Hannah continued, smacking Claude's hand away with a grin. "Which mostly entails decorating."

"…Decorating?" Claude asked, raising an eyebrow. Hannah nodded. "So get some balloons and crepe paper, stick 'em in random places, and call it good," Claude shrugged. "I have a sinking feeling I'm going to have to clean it all up anyway."

"So I have your permission to do minimal decorating?" Hannah asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Yes, please," Claude laughed. "I'm not really sure why I need decorations in the first place. I'm not turning five."

"You're the best," she said, quickly kissing his cheek. "Just do me a favor and make sure you compliment the shitty decorations in front of Sebastian so he doesn't get pissed at me."

"I'm sure he'll think they look great," Claude reassured her. "Trust me. He thinks the apartment looks great even if it hasn't been cleaned in weeks."

"You'd be surprised," Hannah laughed. "He's taking this whole birthday thing really seriously. I mean, he _does_ owe it to you, but let's be honest- planning things isn't really Sebastian's forte."

"I promise I will compliment your decorations and pretend to be very very pleased," Claude said, smiling and placing his hand over his heart. "You have my word."

"And, just a word of warning," Hannah added after a moment, "I know I told you I've talked Sebastian out of a lot of things, but there are some points he won't budge on. _And_ on top of that, there are things he's planning he won't tell me about."

"He probably thinks you'll spill the beans," Claude said. "I guess he's right."

"Funny," she smirked. "Just don't be too hard on him, okay?" Hannah asked. "He just wants to make you happy."

"I'll be happy with whatever happens as long as he doesn't get arrested for public indecency again," Claude laughed. "You have to promise me _that _won't happen this year."

"No guarantees," Hannah said in mock concern. She stood. "You promise you won't let Sebastian know I said anything?"

"You hardly gave anything away," Claude laughed. "There's nothing to tell Sebastian."

"Oh, good," She smiled. "There was also another reason I came to pay you a visit. You're a boy," She said, pulling Claude off of the couch.

"Oh, very observant of you," He replied sarcastically, allowing himself to be pulled from his comfortable perch on the couch.

"That means you're starving," she said, ignoring him. "Let's grab something to eat," She said leading him to the front door. "I kinda owe you anyway. And don't tell me otherwise, I know you're hungry."

"Well, if you insist," Claude replied, allowing himself to be led out to Hannah's car.

His mind wasn't really on eating lunch, however. He was mostly thinking of what Sebastian had planned for him. Hannah said he was taking it all seriously, and though Claude didn't like to get his hopes up, he briefly entertained the idea of having a boyfriend by the end of it all. But, then again, Sebastian wasn't exactly overly romantic with _women,_ so Claude didn't see why he'd be treated any differently. With that thought, he didn't necessarily come _crashing_ back to reality, but was reminded of its existence. He didn't really have any reason to complain. Sebastian was the best friend he could ask for, he finally remembered Claude's birthday of his own volition, and took it upon himself to see that Claude had the best celebration he could ask for. What more could he possibly want?

Ironically, Claude had a ready answer to that question.


	9. Confession

"Oh, my God, you _have _to help me!" Grell squealed. He was standing at Claude's front door at 10 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. For Grell, that was a miracle. He never showed his face to the world before 3 p.m.

"Why can't Will help you?" Claude groaned. Grell pushed past him and entered Claude's apartment, seating himself at the small kitchen table. He promptly began dumping the contents of his bag onto the table, searching for something.

"Will is in class. The idiot signed up for early morning classes. He doesn't get done until I start, which is in, like, an hour," Grell said quickly. Claude shuffled over to the table and sat beside the frantic red-head. "Please, please, please, please help me! I am _so_ going to fail this final!"

"Okay, fine," Claude sighed, "I'll help you. Just… shut the hell up, okay? Some of the species that dwell here aren't awake until noon."

"Oh, riiight," Grell said, wagging his eyebrows up and down. "Sebastian."

"Look you're really not doing yourself any favors if you wake him up, trust me," Claude said, raising his eyebrows- partly in disgust and partly in amusement. "What class can I help you pass _this_ time?" He asked, trying to keep Grell on topic.

Grell was silent for a moment, scanning quickly through his horrid handwriting, trying to make sense of his notes and figure out what help he needed the most at the moment. After several seconds, he looked up at Claude with wide eyes and a –rather large- plastered on smile.

"Could you possibly give me a CliffNotes version of Don Quixote?" He asked innocently. "I mean, you're smart. You've read it, right?" Claude broke out into a grin.

"It's about a guy who isn't really happy with reality, so he substitutes his own. He goes around doing what is – in his reality- good, but in all actuality it's not so helpful," Claude said quickly. Of course there was more to the story than that, but Grell didn't really have the time (or patience) to hear more than that.

"Oh, you're a life saver," Grell smiled, quickly scribbling what Claude assumed was a summary of the story. "You think I can stretch that into a three page essay?" Claude pursed his lips. What he _wanted_ to say was 'good luck,' but that would be underestimating Grell. He'd known the red-head to easily B.S. his way through the majority of his classes. How it worked, Claude would never know.

"Oh, for sure," he said sarcastically after a moment of silence. Claude's sarcasm had no effect on Grell, however, who merely beamed at him.

"You'll be a doll and help me with these Chemistry issues, won't you?" he asked. Claude laughed and stood.

"I hope you're referring to your homework, because otherwise I don't know that I'll be of much assistance," Claude joked, striding into the kitchen.

"Oh you're so funny," Grell said, after a bout of fake laughter. It was clear he was desperate for some help. Claude only grinned wider.

"Get out your notes and grab my Chem book from the chair on the other side of you," Claude instructed. If he was going to properly assist Grell, he was going to need some food. He hadn't eaten anything, and -judging by Grell's frantic state- was sure his guest hadn't either. There wasn't time for anything elaborate, so Claude toasted some bagels, smothered them in cream cheese, and started the coffee pot. He returned to the table and handed Grell a bagel. The red-head accepted it quickly.

"Okay, so I am completely lost," Grell explained with his mouth full. "I mean, I tried these equations at _least_ twelve different ways, and kept getting wrong answers. Will tried to help last night, but I didn't absorb _anything _he was saying."

Claude patiently looked over Grell's notes, trying to decipher what markings were numbers and what markings were letters. Minutes passed by as Claude slowly explained where Grell was going wrong, and tried to do so in a way that his hysterical friend would understand. It took less time than Claude had expected, and Grell seemed to be satisfied with his progress. He set down his pencil with a satisfied sigh.

"Good enough," he said cheerily. "I mean, if worst comes to worst, I'm sure I can solve some of it and then draw a bear or something."

"It's a wonder you didn't graduate from high school with distinction," Claude remarked in mock surprise.

"Well, enough about me," Grell said, hurriedly. He blew his bangs out of his eyes and looked over the rims of his glasses at Claude. "Did you hear that a certain _someone_ was in town?" he asked. Claude rolled his eyes, but could feel himself blushing.

"Yeah, I did," he said. There was no point in keeping anything from Grell. He would find out anyway, "We ran into each other on Saturday. Well, he came to visit, anyway," Claude said, tiredly dragging his hand down his face.

"Oh, really?" Grell asked, clearly wanting more information. Claude was reluctant to tell all, but once again reasoned that Grell would find out anyway. Maybe he could keep the kissing part from Grell a little longer. He wasn't exactly eager to share _that _information.

"Yup, he just showed up. It was good to see him again, I guess," Claude shrugged. "We talked for a while. Then he left to meet Luka for lunch."

"That's all?" Grell asked, sounding slightly disappointed. Claude nodded. "You gotta get back on your game, pal," he said, winking and nudging Claude. Claude snorted, rolling his eyes once more.

"I've never been _off_ my game. I just haven't been playing as often as you," Claude defended himself. "Besides, Alois and I are keeping things friendly. That's all."

"Alois is back in town?" a groggy voice asked. Both Grell and Claude turned and were greeted with the sight of a half awake Sebastian. He rubbed his scarlet eyes sleepily and joined the crowd at the table.

"Well, good _morning_, Sebastian," Grell drawled, scooting closer to their new companion. "You know, we haven't seen each other in a while, and may I just say that you look _smashing_, even in your zombie-like state."

"Don't you have class in fifteen minutes?" Claude asked, cutting Grell off. He didn't mind helping him study, but he wasn't really in the mood to watch him flirt ruthlessly.

"Well, I could-" Grell began. Claude cut him short with (what he hoped was) a menacing glare. "-Yeah, you're right. I got places to be, tests to ace, you know how it goes," he winked at Sebastian as he quickly swiped all of his belongings off the table and dumped them into his bag. "See you guys around!" He called as he made his way out of the apartment.

"I didn't know you knew Alois was in town," Sebastian said, addressing Claude.

"You mean, you knew?" Claude asked.

"Well, yeah. I mean, we ran into each other yesterday, but he didn't say anything about coming to see you," Sebastian said. He flicked his long hair out of his face lazily.

"Yeah, he stopped by. It was no big deal," Claude said, shortly.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Sebastian asked, clearly not picking up on the fact that this was _not_ a conversation Claude was desperate to have at the moment. "I mean, he _is_ your ex and everything."

"I dunno," Claude shrugged. "I figured you wouldn't care. It really wasn't a big deal." Sebastian stared at his friend, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"You keep saying that," he said slowly. "That it wasn't a big deal. I'm not buying it. Something is eating you up. What gives?" Claude sighed. He couldn't really believe he was about to come clean, but telling the truth would be better than having Sebastian upset at him. Sebastian was never really fond of secrets between friends and always made it a point to tell Claude everything, even when he knew Claude wasn't interested. He demanded the same treatment in return, which made some sense and at the same time, was completely illogical.

"At first I wasn't really happy to see him," Claude confessed. "I was pissed, actually, that he'd come here with no warning. But, then, I dunno. We got to talking and things just picked up right where we left off."

"And that bothers you because you wanted to be done with Alois," Sebastian inferred, sympathetically.

"Well, yeah," Claude sighed. "I don't want to confuse him either, because I know what _I_ want, but I'm not so sure he does. Kissing him probably didn't help the situation either."

"If you kissed him you still care about him a _little_," Sebastian reasoned. Claude threw him a doubting look. "Oh, c'mon, Claude. You're not like me, kissing people right and left. You save affection for people who _mean_ something to you. Somewhere deep down, you recognize that Alois still deserves your affection, you're just afraid to openly acknowledge it."

"I don't know," Claude sighed. "There _is_ someone else. Kind of." Sebastian opened his mouth to pry further, but Claude cut him off. "I ain't talking, pal. We're done here. I told you what happened. You gave me advice, I'll let you know if you were right in a couple of weeks," he grinned.

"Okay," Sebastian sighed. "Well I can see the end of that conversation. You know, I'm glad we had this little heart to heart. Give us a kiss," he said sarcastically, leaning forward. Claude pushed him away, laughing slightly. Sebastian stood and walked to the coffee pot. "Are you counting down yet?"

"For what?" Claude asked, following his roommate's movements. Sebastian's disheveled hair and baggy flannel pajama pants were oddly endearing this early in the morning. Of course, Sebastian had the confidence to flaunt around the place as though he were wearing a tuxedo. He never seemed to be uncomfortable in his own skin.

"Your birthday, idiot," Sebastian smirked as he poured two mugs of coffee. "Which, may I add, will be the best celebration that the planet Earth has seen since Woodstock."

"So now we're comparing my birthday to a massive STD fest?" Claude asked. "That sounds encouraging."

"Oh, you know what I mean," Sebastian said, brushing Claude's comment aside. He rejoined his friend at the table, placing a mug in front of Claude. "You're excited, right?"

"Obviously," Claude said, unenthusiastically.

"Great," Sebastian exclaimed. "Now as far as the guest list, there are some people that I was thinking could-"

"-Invite whoever you want," Claude said, knowing what Sebastian was going to ask before he did. "You're planning the damn thing, there might as well be some people you like there, right?" He laughed and took a swig of coffee.

"Well, _you'll_ be there," Sebastian said, shrugging. "I would be okay with just that." Claude laughed, shaking his head.

"You're not fooling anyone," he grinned. "Seriously, invite whoever you want. Hell, invite the whole university if you want to, I don't care."

"Okay, if you insist," Sebastian said, grinning widely and obviously pleased with himself.


	10. The New Kid

Finals week passed by in a blur. Claude had no complaints in that department; it meant that things weren't moving at a glacial pace. As the semester was finally wrapping up, that meant that Claude had more time to live life as a human being. He could socialize, instead of intentionally holing himself up in his apartment. It was nice, for a change.

Of course, the more he was socializing, the less he got to see Sebastian. Which had its ups and downs. It meant that he didn't have to deal with Mey Rin all the time, at least. Claude found that he was spending a majority of his time with Alois, which rather surprised him, though he did nothing to remedy the situation. So far, there hadn't been another intimate incident, as Claude was sure Alois felt just as awkward about it as he did. For this, he was secretly grateful.

"I promise he's not annoying," Alois tried to assure Claude. The young boy had been begging Claude to meet one of his friends for ages. Though Claude had never been particularly fond of any of the kids Alois chose to surround himself with, he found that he was willing to oblige in this instance.

Alois led Claude through the lines of people and past small tables supporting chatty individuals. Alois had an affinity for coffee shops, and Claude was used to it by now. In fact, from time to time, Claude found that coffee shops were his location of preference when he was stressed. It only made sense that Claude would be introduced to Alois' best friend in such a location.

Alois stopped at a table toward the back of the establishment. A boy around Alois' age was seated alone, obviously absorbed in his reading. He had hair that was so dark it almost appeared to have a blue tint. He looked up as Alois and Claude approached, revealing his eyes. They were both large and one was quite blue. The other, however, was a milky grey color. It wasn't ugly; in fact, it made the boy appear older and more intriguing. He grinned as he set eyes on Alois.

"Hey," he greeted, setting down his book.

"Ciel, this is Claude," Alois said, motioning between the two. "Claude, this is Ciel." Claude could feel Ciel's eyes on him, giving him a one over.

"You're the ex?" he asked after a moment.

"Um, yeah," Claude said, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He wasn't really used to such heavy scrutiny though he was sure Ciel didn't really mean anything by it. Claude smiled awkwardly.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Ciel grinned, and Claude allowed himself to relax. "Idiot over here wouldn't shut up about you for weeks. It was all Claude-this and Claude-that."

"Well, I would hope that it was only good things," Claude began with a laugh, "But I know Alois too well for that."

"I only talked shit on you a couple of times," Alois cried in an attempt to defend himself. "And that was only when I was really pissed."

"So you two know each other from school?" Claude asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah," Ciel said, flicking his dark hair to the side with a jerk of his head. "We're both stuck in the same hell hole for the next two years," he said glumly. After a pause, he asked, "And you're a Junior in college?"

"Sophomore, actually," Claude corrected. "I'm not exactly the 26 year old stud Alois may have described," he winked in Alois' direction.

"I only lied about your age once! And you gave me permission!" Alois jumped to his own defense once more.

"Wow," Ciel laughed. "Because _that_ wouldn't make your relationship seem twelve times creepier than it already is."

"I lied about _my _age too, dipshit," Alois scoffed. Claude began to wonder what sort of awkward situation he'd gotten himself into. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable around Alois and Ciel, he was just uncomfortable with the direction their conversation was taking, despite his efforts to remedy the topic. He made the decision to sit silently, hoping that the conversation would naturally flow away from his relationship with Alois.

His phone buzzed obnoxiously in his pocket. He shot an apologetic glance to Alois and Ciel, though neither of them seemed to care that he was reaching to answer his phone. Grateful for the chance to escape the conversation, he answered.

"Hey," Sebastian's voice purred softly on the other end of the line. "What are you up to?"

"I'm with Alois and one of his friends at a coffee shop," Claude responded. "Why?"

"The one on Cherry Street?" Sebastian asked, ignoring Claude's earlier question.

"Yeah, the one on Cherry," Claude replied.

"Okay. I'll be there in, like, two minutes, if that's okay," Sebastian informed him. Claude knew better than to tell him not to come. He _wanted _him to be there in the first place. Plus, Sebastian would show up whether he had an invitation or not.

"I thought you were with Mey Rin?" He responded instead. He heard Sebastian heave a large sigh.

"Yeah, I _was_. She had some… stuff to take care of," he said, vaguely. Claude didn't bother prying any further.

"See you, then," he said in parting. After he hung up, he turned to Alois. "You mind if Sebastian joins us?" he asked. Alois shrugged.

"Doesn't bother me," Ciel interjected, inserting himself into Claude and Alois' conversation. Claude hoped things would become more… comfortable with Sebastian's presence.

"He's not bringing that one chick, though, right?" Alois asked quickly. Claude flashed a half smile. He was glad that he wasn't the only one with an avid distaste for Mey Rin.

"You think I'd let him come here if he was going to tow her along?" He asked, his response causing Alois to grin as well.

"So who the hell is Sebastian?" Ciel asked, addressing no one in particular.

"He's my roommate," Claude answered. "And he's been my best friend since middle school." Ciel gave a slow nod and mouthed "oh."

"He's a nice guy," Alois supplied. "I'm sure the two of you will like each other. You're a lot alike, I think. Not to mention you both have an inherent taste for rule-breaking."

"Is he hot?" Ciel asked after a pause. His eyes were on Claude's face. Claude was hesitant to answer, mostly because he had assumed Ciel was straight, though he also didn't want to give away his own feelings.

"Um, well, he likes to think so," Claude laughed nervously. Alois let out a snort.

"Don't let this guy lie to you," Alois interrupted. "Sebastian is hella attractive." Ciel grinned widely at Alois' apparently satisfactory answer. "But, I'm going to have to crush all of your dreams right now," Alois continued, despite Ciel's dopey grin. "You're not really his type."

"What, because I'm young, attractive, and single?" Ciel asked, obviously confident in whatever qualities he thought he might (and, Claude noted, _did_) possess.

"No," Alois said, rolling his eyes. "You're not a chick." This comment caused Ciel's grin to widen even further.

"Well, there are many straight men included in my conquests," he said. "Or, I guess, men that _thought _they were straight," he added.

"Whatever," Alois sighed, obviously annoyed. "Good luck." Claude found it odd that his feelings were so closely mirroring Alois', though he wasn't one to complain. It was nice to feel like you had someone on your team; it was nice to know he wasn't alone in becoming agitated in Ciel's overly apparent interest in Sebastian. Though, he hoped it was for different reasons.

"That him?" Ciel asked, nodding his head in the direction of the front door. Both Alois and Claude craned their necks to look at the person Ciel had indicated.

It was clearly Sebastian. He was striding around as though he owned the place, though he'd only been here once or twice before. He smiled cordially at the other patrons as he walked past. He dragged a chair from an unoccupied table to the table occupied by Claude, Ciel, and Alois. He sat in it backwards- with the back of the chair resting against his chest. He flashed a grin at he already seated group.

"Thanks for letting me crash," he said, breaking the silence.

"Thanks for crashing," Alois said, not completely unenthusiastically. "Haven't seen too much of you since I've been here," Alois noted, trying to strike up conversation.

"Oh, yeah," Sebastian sighed with a smile. He tucked his dark hair behind is ear. "Well, I've been spending most of my time planning Claudie's birthday," he punched Claude in the arm playfully. "Which is going well, in case you're wondering."

"Should I be scared?" Claude asked, raising an eyebrow. Sebastian's presence was helping to-somewhat- brighten the mood he'd found himself in.

"Nah," Sebastian shrugged. "Actually, Mey Rin and I just finished up inviting everyone. It was a _lot_ of phone calls." He turned to Alois. "I don't have your number, but, obviously you're invited, as long as Luka doesn't care that you'll be out past curfew," he grinned. "You can bring your friend, too," he added, noticing Ciel for the first time. He offered his hand. "Sebastian," he introduced himself quickly.

"Ciel Phantomhive," Ciel responded, accepting Sebastian's handshake. Claude was guiltily pleased when Sebastian didn't catch on to the sickeningly coy look Ciel was giving him. They shook hands, and that was that. Sebastian moved on to other topics, for the most part ignoring Ciel. Claude couldn't help but note that Ciel looked a little upset that his obvious efforts were getting him nowhere. Welcome to the club. For once Claude was glad of Sebastian's overwhelming obliviousness.

"They'll probably expect me home at least two weeks before Christmas," Sebastian sighed, discussing his plans for Christmas vacation. "It's not gonna happen. Hell, I haven't even thought about packing."

"Well, you have a couple weeks yet," Alois reassured him with a laugh. "Geez, isn't the point of college to get _away_ from your parents?"

"Yeah," Sebastian grinned. "But I miss my mom's cooking too much to stay away for long. I mean, Claude's good. But he's not _that_ good."

"If _I _were your parents, I'd keep a closer eye on you," Ciel cooed. "Look at you. Your looks alone are enough to get you into trouble. Not to mention I hear you have a knack for trouble making," he flirted ruthlessly. Sebastian let out a small laugh.

"My parents are more than forgiving for all of the trouble I cause," he smiled. "But that's not to say I don't get chided for it."

"Not that it does anything," Claude scoffed.

"Good," Ciel said, flashing a smile. "_I_ like troublemakers." There was no way Sebastian would miss that blatant come on, Claude knew. Not really wanting to stick around, Claude looked for a quick escape. He glanced down at his watch.

"Don't you have work in half an hour?" Claude asked, nonchalantly.

"What's today, Thursday?" Sebastian asked. Claude nodded. "Shit," he sighed. "Yeah, I do."

"Guess we should split, then," Claude said, standing. "I have to tutor at the library in a few hours anyway. See you later, Alois." Claude grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. "Nice to meet you," he said to Ciel as he turned to leave.

Sebastian fell into step with Claude outside of the coffee shop as they walked towards Claude's car.

"You're not pissed I showed up, are you?" Sebastian asked, sincerely. Claude quickly shook his head.

"Hell no," he admitted. "You cleared up a lot of awkward back there. All Ciel wanted to talk about was me and Alois. And you do realize he was hitting on you, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Sebastian said. "It was kinda weird, but kinda flattering." He paused. "What can I say? Kid has good taste."

"You're hopeless," Claude sighed, unlocking the car door.

"Oh, Ciel," Sebastian said with a laugh, as though he'd known the boy for years. Claude rolled his eyes. "Good kid," Sebastian added.

Son of a bitch.


	11. A Mess Prevails

"I'm sorry I kept you so late," Finny apologized with large eyes. He was a cheerful, polite freshman. And though Claude wasn't supposed to have favorites, he enjoyed tutoring Finny the most. He had a genuine personality, and thankfully, quickly caught on to things that Claude explained. Tonight had been a difficult night for Finny, as Calculus wasn't really his thing. Come to think of it, Calculus wasn't really Claude's strong suit either.

"Don't worry about it," Claude said, pushing his chair back under the library table. "It's partly my fault anyway. I forgot how much I suck at Calculus."

"Well, you pretty much saved me," Finny laughed, as he shouldered his bag. "I was really freaking out about my Calc final. How did _your_ finals go, by the way?" he asked, as the two of them left the library.

"Good, I guess," Claude shrugged. "I can never be too sure."

"I'm sure you did just fine," Finny reassured him. "You're only the smartest person I know."

"Thanks," Claude laughed. "But smart people can get horrible grades, too. I've had my fair share." Finny scoffed.

"What was your worst grade? A B minus?" He asked.

"A D plus, actually," Claude corrected with a grin. "In middle school."

"Oh, middle school doesn't count!" Finny cried. "Nobody cares about middle school grades in the first place."

"Regrettably, you do have a point," Claude laughed. "Good luck on your final tomorrow!" he called to Finny as he walked toward the school parking lot. As he approached his car- one of the few in the commuter parking lot at this hour- he recognized all too well the small figure sprawled out on the hood.

"What's up, Alois?" he asked, stopping in front of Alois. "Luka kick you out of the hotel for some peace and-"

Alois sat up and pulled Claude into a deep kiss. Claude was so shocked, he wasn't really sure how to react. His brain was screaming at him to pull away, yet at the same time it couldn't quite register what was happening to him. Alois pulled away with a smile.

"I've been patient, but damn," he said, grinning.

"Uh," Claude said, completely and thoroughly confused, "What?"

"I just never really thought you were considering us being a thing again. Hell, _I_ wasn't even sure if I was considering it. But, I will proudly say, I'm proud of your vague decision," Alois crossed his arms with a satisfied expression written all across his face. Claude sucked in a large breath and let it out slowly.

"Alois," he said after a pause. "What in the hell are you talking about?" Alois' satisfied expression faltered.

"You sent me a text," he said, slowly. "Like ten minutes ago. It said some vague crap about how much you missed me and maybe coming over to the hotel…?"

"I couldn't have sent you a text ten minutes ago," Claude said, trying to keep a level head. "I was tutoring. I always leave my phone at the apartment when I tutor."

"I swear to God you texted me," he said, pulling his own phone out of his pocket. Claude sighed. There was a simple explanation for the situation.

"I didn't text you," Claude sighed. "Sebastian did. From my phone. He wanted you to think it was me."

"Oh," Alois said softly. "I'm _really_ sorry for all of that just now. I just thought- Can we pretend it didn't happen?" he asked.

"I'm a fan of that scenario," Claude said, laughing a little. "Let me take you home," he offered. "I'm really sorry you came all the way out here for nothing," Claude apologized awkwardly. "I swear I'll make it up to you, I just have a _problem_ at home that I need to fix."

"Nah, I get it," Alois shrugged. "It's cool." The car fell into an awkward silence. Thankfully, the hotel that Alois and Luka were staying at wasn't too far from the college. Claude bid goodnight to Alois and sped for home.

He supposed he should be flattered that Sebastian was trying to hook him up, or look out for him, or whatever. But more than anything, the whole thing just pissed him off. It wasn't as though Sebastian _didn't_ know that Claude wasn't really sure about starting a relationship with Alois again. Yeah, he didn't know that Claude was interested in _him_, but that didn't mean he got to walk around and play matchmaker.

Claude walked quickly up the stairs to his apartment and threw open the door, ready to give Sebastian all sorts of hell. But, of course, he wasn't really prepared for what awaited.

"Sebastian-" Claude had opened his mouth to yell, but his brain had finally processed what his eyes were seeing. Ciel and Sebastian were tangled up in each other on the couch. Ciel and Sebastian. _Ciel._ And Sebastian. "Oh, I'm sorry, am I _interrupting_?" he thundered when he found his voice once more. "Forgive me. I can see that you're _clearly_ very busy, so I'll just go about my business! Don't mind me!"

Both Ciel and Sebastian looked surprised, and slightly uncomfortable, but remained staring at Claude with almost identical deer- in- the- headlights expressions. As Claude walked off to his room, he saw Ciel jump off the couch and pull a shirt on, quickly ducking out the front door.

Claude was frantically throwing his belongings into a bag. He couldn't be around Sebastian for the time being. And he _definitely_ couldn't remain in the apartment for more than a few more minutes. Sebastian had quickly shuffled in the room –still shirtless.

"Claude, I-" he sputtered. "That's not- I didn't-" Claude stopped packing for a moment, giving Sebastian a fiery look.

"I know exactly what that was, Sebastian," he said through gritted teeth. "It was just another one of your damn conquests. You used to have the decency to keep those _out_ of the apartment. And, you know, suddenly it makes sense why you sent that text to Alois." Furiously, he broke eye contact and resumed throwing things into his bag. "You know, if you had really wanted me out of the apartment for the night, you could have texted _Finny_ and asked him to pass on the message. You knew I was tutoring him tonight. You didn't have to get Alois' hopes all out of proportion, not to mention messing with my own feelings."

"I thought you really liked him," Sebastian said, timidly. "Ciel and I were just messing around, trying to see if we could hook you guys up. And then... things just happened. I know how stuff like that in the apartment upsets you, and I'm sorry. I didn't plan on things ending up like this, really."

"Me neither," Claude said, shouldering his bag and walking past Sebastian.

"Where are you going?" Sebastian asked him. "Ciel is gone," he said, as if it mattered. Claude scoffed.

"I don't know," he said, walking for the door. "I'm just not sleeping here tonight. Maybe you'll have the _decency_ to clean the couch while I'm gone?" Claude walked out the door, slamming it behind him. He let out a huge sigh. Things just now really couldn't have gotten any worse. He walked down the hall and out of the apartment complex, heading towards the first place he thought of.

Basically, the whole night had been one huge blow to his ego. Sebastian was so _dumb_ sometimes that it was infuriating. He never listened to Claude, it seemed. Or, maybe he did listen in his own way. Which meant processing the words coming out of someone's mouth and then drawing his own conclusions. In this situation, it was horrible. Claude's feelings weren't the only ones on the line. And on top of that, Sebastian was actually with a _guy_? Ciel was younger, yes, but he was still a boy nonetheless. Since when did that happen? Sebastian had never shown interest in anyone unless they were slutty women. It made sense, though, that Sebastian would go for a guy who almost literally threw himself at Sebastian's feet. Which meant Claude was out. He had a certain level of self-respect.

Yet, as mad as he was at Sebastian, he still managed to feel mad at himself. Was it really necessary to storm around the place like a six year old? Yes. And no. He could have just done the mature thing and forgiven Sebastian and moved on. It could have been a calm, simple talk. But he was far too stubborn for that. But mostly, he hurt. All the time that he invested in Sebastian, spent with him, spent caring about him and for him, meant nothing. Sebastian always chose someone else. Mey Rin. Ciel. There was something they had that he just didn't. And he would never have the balls to actually _tell_ Sebastian how he felt. Sebastian would never pick up on it. And even if he did, Claude doubted that it would mean much.

After several minutes of fast walking, Claude arrived at the apartment he'd been looking for. He knocked on the door, hoping that its inhabitants were still awake. After seconds of holding his breath, the door swung open.

"What's wrong?" Will asked, concern spreading across his face.

"Can I crash here?" Claude asked flatly. "Sebastian and I kinda had a falling out," he grinned sadly.

"Of course," Will said pulling the door open wider to let Claude pass through. "Things are kind of a mess, I apologize. And Grell fell behind on his rent, again, so he's here. Arnold is already asleep," he said, referring to his roommate.

"Thanks," Claude sighed. "The couch is free, right?" he asked, shuffling into Will's living room. He collapsed onto the couch without really waiting for an answer, leaving his bag on the floor. Will sat by Claude, letting silence fill the room for several minutes.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Will asked. Claude knew that Will was making a genuine effort. He didn't really like to talk about Sebastian in the first place, and was never really one for heart-to-hearts. But, he seemed sincere, and honestly wanted to help. Claude found that he was spilling all- even mentioning his dumb crush on Sebastian. Will was a friend he'd had for ages, though, it seemed that as of late, they'd neglected each other. Talking to him made everything fall into perspective. Claude missed having a friend around that was a lot like him. Will listened to Claude's entire story with patience, offering condolences and advice as he saw fit. Claude was grateful.

"Just sleep on it," Will said, standing. "You'll see things clearer in the morning. Maybe you won't be as mad as you are now and you can forgive and forget. Or, maybe you'll still be mad, but you'll at least have cooled off long enough to deal with the problem sensibly, yeah?"

"Sounds like sage advice," Claude sighed, sprawling across Will's couch.

"And just so you know," Will added, "Right before we dated, Grell fooled around too, even though he knew I liked him. And we fought about it. Now, here we are months later, still finding things to fight over. It's not the end of the world. You and Sebastian are too close to _not_ figure something out."

* * *

><p><strong>A\N:<strong>So I'm desperately trying to finish most of my fics before I move. Which is officially in a week. Woot. Yet, so scary. I will officially be a college student, and it weirds me out! LoL. Not to mention my study habits are a lot more like Grell's (I WISH I studied like Claude... LoL) and YES, I have drawn a bear on a test. And yes, I did get points for it. :) Anyways. Thanks for all of your reviews and feedback and praise! You guys are seriously wonderful. And now, comes the big question: to lemon, or not to lemon? (Just a warning: I've never written a lemon... so it may be more like an orange...?) Anyways. Just let me know. This is all up to you guys :)


	12. Conflict Resolution & Collateral Damage

Claude woke up earlier than usual, questioning his surroundings. The events of the evening before came to his remembrance in a horrid flood, and he sighed. He was at Will's. He sat up, wanting to move on with the day and- hopefully- forget or at least feel better about what had happened.

He shuffled in to Will's tidy kitchen, searching for food. There was really only one way he knew how to thank Will and Arnold for letting him crash- and that was cooking breakfast. He knew Will would be grateful to be relieved of the duty, and- from what he knew of Arnold- gifts of food would always be appreciated. As he mixed and stirred and poured, it was nice to be able to forget things. He was concentrated on the task before him, and not the (currently) gloomy outlook of his life.

The smell of cooking food was obviously enough to wake all three sleeping inhabitants of the apartment. Will sleepily wandered into the kitchen, providing Claude with some much needed company.

"How did you sleep last night?" He asked with a yawn and a stretch.

"Fine," Claude shrugged. "Thanks."

"It's no problem," Will smiled. "I just wish there had been somewhere more comfortable to put you."

"I was plenty comfortable," Claude reassured him. "I don't roll off the couch in my sleep like I used to in high school, so that's a plus."

Will laughed. "Yes, that is a big plus." There was a comfortable pause. "Omelets?" Will asked, in reference to the yellow substance Claude was pouring into a pan. Claude nodded. Just then, Arnold shuffled in, and slumped into a chair at the table.

"Smells good, Claude," he mumbled, pushing his glasses up his nose. There were lots of things that Claude appreciated about Arnold, and one of them was that the kid didn't need to ask any questions. He didn't act shocked to see a very worn and tired looking Claude in his kitchen cooking eggs. He didn't need to grill him with questions about why he was there and what had happened. He just accepted the fact that Claude was there, and that something upsetting had obviously happened. Arnold was simple.

"Morning, Arnold," Will greeted. Arnold laid his head on the surface of the table, looking as though he'd just laid his head on the world's softest pillow.

"Mmmhmm," he greeted in response, his lids drooping- though he was obviously fighting to keep them open.

"You like tomatoes, right, Arnold?" Claude asked. Not really noting that Arnold had almost fallen asleep again. Arnold pulled himself up from his slumped over position.

"Dude," he said, grinning sleepily, "Whatever you put in those things, I'm gonna eat."

"Good to know," Claude laughed, as began to fill the omelet.

"Hello everyone," greeted a singsongy voice. Claude looked up in time to see Grell- which was slightly odd as it wasn't anywhere close to noon. Grell greeted Will with a small kiss, and curiously looked over Claude's shoulder. "Breakfast," he sighed with satisfaction. "Looks great."

Will must have briefly told Grell the night before about Claude sleeping in their apartment. He also must have tactfully reminded Grell not to mention anything to Claude, for which Claude was grateful. In Grell's defense, he tried to be mindful of other people's feelings. His brain filter just didn't work as well as everyone else's- which could often be irritating.

As the four males sat down to eat their breakfast, there was a satisfying silence. Arnold perked up plenty when a steaming omelet was placed in front of him. He gave Claude an audible- and perfectly coherent- thanks, before digging in. Grell pulled his long red hair into a loose pony tail before eagerly scarfing down his food. Claude and Will ate slowly, enjoying the company, but not needing to stay much.

"What are your plans today?" Grell asked Sebastian, a large bite of omelet tucked into his cheek. Claude set down his fork, shrugging.

"Not much," he said. "I do have to go smooth things over with Alois, though," he mused aloud. Alois may have handled the previous evening's situation maturely, but that didn't mean he wasn't hurt. Claude knew him too well for that. And though it wasn't even Claude's fault, he felt he needed to make things up to Alois, maybe actually _have_ a chat about what direction he was intending to take their relationship so there would be no future confusion.

"Oh," Grell said. "Well, you're welcome to stay here all day, too," he smiled. "We're having an end of exams celebration of sorts."

"And it's gonna be kick ass," Arnold added. "Will and I told Grell that Nicholas Sparks movies were outlawed."

"I'll probably be back here later in the afternoon, if that's all right," Claude admitted. He was met with enthusiastic responses from all three of his friends.

* * *

><p>The park was a place that Claude usually neglected, not really having time to wander around aimlessly and admire trees. Being here now, though, was sort of calming. He and Alois were walking side by side in silence. Claude was sure Alois knew why he had asked him here, he just felt like he should elaborate on the subject more. He was struggling to find words, however, that would adequately convey what he was feeling. Luckily Alois broke the silence for him.<p>

"You know you don't owe me anything, right?" he asked, giving a small smile.

"No, I know," Claude nodded. "I just… felt that you deserved some decency. Some closure of sorts," he shrugged.

"I'm fine," Alois chuckled lightly, though Claude could easily see through his lie. Alois looked just as tired as Claude felt, and he was hardly his usual upbeat self. Sebastian's dirty work had taken its toll on both Claude and Alois, and certainly not in the way it was intended to.

"You're a terrible liar," Claude said, half serious, half teasing. "Last night you said something about… waiting. Or being patient, I forget."

"I thought we were just gonna forget about that whole embarrassment," Alois mumbled nervously, kicking at the ground.

"There are some things we can't ignore, Alois," Claude sighed. "And as much as we would like to forget things and move on, we both know it isn't helping either of us."

"Okay," Alois said, raising his saddened blue eyes from the ground. "I confess, I had really hoped we were going to get back together. I fantasized about it, sure. I wasn't really sure if you liked me, so I was just… waiting. Waiting for whatever you decided. I still like you, Claude. I never stopped. But I _have_ grown up a little, and I swear, I wasn't just waiting around for the chance to get in your pants."

"I've been… confused," Claude started. He was stopped by a scoff from Alois, which was followed by a short laugh.

"Not really," he said. "I'm sure that somewhere deep down you like me, but I'm not your sole focus anymore. You know what you want." Claude was slightly taken aback and unsure of what to say. He opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to decide whether he should confess, lie, or pretend to have no idea what Alois was talking about. "I'm not stupid," Alois laughed bitterly. "I know you like Sebastian. _You'd_ be stupid not to. You just… you gotta be careful with his type."

"Alois, I-" Claude started, but faltered again.

"You've looked out for me long enough," Alois smiled, a little more genuinely this time. "It's time for me to stand on my own two feet. I can step aside and let you be happy for once," he took Claude's hands in his small, slender ones. "You're always looking out for someone else, Claude. But you have to promise me you'll be careful, because Sebastian knows that's the kind of person you are. He knows that no matter what he does, you'll forgive him. You do everything you can for the guy and he always leaves you in the dust. I know you love him, but sticking around while he beats the heck out of your emotions is only going to hurt you."

Claude was silent for a moment, studying Alois' earnest expression. He sensed deep down in his gut that the kid was right, but he wasn't quite ready to admit it just yet. As the day passed, Claude realized he may have blown things out of proportion. Honestly, he'd done the very same thing to Sebastian. He'd brought Alois into the apartment and was making out with him on the same damn couch. Claude of all people should have been able to understand that sometimes things just _happen._ He pushed Alois' advice to the back of his mind, however he took great care in not completely burying it. "You really have done some growing up, haven't you?" he asked, with a half-smile.

"Hell yeah, I have," Alois said, releasing Claude's hands and breaking out into a grin. "I didn't go through puberty for nothing." The two friends resumed walking. "Thanks for the closure or whatever the hell that was," Alois muttered quickly. "There were some things that really needed to get off my chest."

"There were some things I really needed to hear," Claude muttered in return.

"Just do me a favor," Alois said, flashing his infamous half-grin. "_Tell_ Sebastian that you like him, because the bastard's not going to figure it out on his own. No offense, but he's kind of an idiot."

Should he tell Sebastian? It was something he promised himself he'd never do. But Alois was right yet again. Sebastian would never pick up on it alone. And, what the hell? It was his birthday tomorrow. He might as well give it a shot.

"Yeah," Claude laughed. "He kinda is."

* * *

><p><strong>A\N:<strong>Well... I disappeared for a while there. But I have officially moved into college (which is part of the reason that I have been not updating... hahaha)! I had my first week of classes and whatnot, and there was SO MUCH READING D: So, hopefully, I'll be able to juggle my schoolwork, potential job, and writing so that you guys don't get pissed (and so _I _don't get pissed, 'cause writing is a GREAT stress reliever, believe it or not.) I'm sure the lot of you have started school too, and I hope that is going well for you! Anyways. Hopefully I don't lose this flash drive again- that's why I haven't posted. Moving sucks. LoL. (PS- LET'S CELEBRATE! I got a new laptop, so there's no more slow, grueling pen and pencil method! Not to hate on those of you who like that method, of course. I just... I'm a typer. I mess up and change my stories too much to use paper.)

In other news, things are wrapping up for this fic, but NO WORRIES. I'm planning on writing a sequel of sorts xD There's so much Seb\Claude tension right now... I can't take it! D: Also, I've only recieved one lemon vote. Just so you are aware... XD "Votes" are still being taken. You can let me know if you want a lemon in the comments. Or you can PM me. Whatever floats your boat.


	13. Smile Like You Mean It

Claude walked back into his apartment late that afternoon, feeling rather exhausted. Though, despite his tired condition, he was on edge. He was curious to see how things would pan out for him over the weekend. Tomorrow was his birthday, and he really hoped to patch things up with Sebastian before then.

Not to mention the fact that he was nervous as hell to talk to Sebastian. Somehow, Alois had convinced Claude to mention _something_ about his secret crush to Sebastian. Claude had been playing through different scenarios in his head- though he wasn't sure any of them portrayed incredibly accurate outcomes. He wasn't sure if he should be blunt, or incredibly vague. He knew he owed it to Sebastian to at least tell him _something_, but he still had the innate fear of rejection- or worse- dissolving a friendship that had lasted for years.

"Sebastian?" Claude called as he walked into the living room. "Are you home?" He paused, as he heard some shuffling noises coming from the kitchen. He turned just in time to see Sebastian barreling toward him. He was pulled into a tight one-armed hug.

"Oh, my God," Sebastian sighed, releasing his friend. "I thought you were never coming home! Not that I didn't deserve it. I mean, I've kind of been an asshole to you and I-" Claude elbowed Sebastian off of him, cutting him short.

"You talk too much sometimes," he said, grinning.

"Well, I thought you at least deserved an eloquent apology," Sebastian laughed nervously, tucking his long black bangs behind an ear.

"I've forgotten everything," Claude said smiling. "I'm not without my faults, too, you know. And it was kind of jerkish of me to blow up on you that way. This is your apartment, too."

"So you'll still come to that lame-ass birthday party tomorrow night?" Sebastian asked, grinning. Claude laughed and nodded. "Oh, good. Because I'd hate for my masterpiece cake to go to waste." Sebastian headed off toward the kitchen, Claude trailing behind.

Sebastian's cake was indeed something to behold. Baking and cooking in any form was one of Sebastian's forté's, though he was usually too lazy to make anything grand. Apparently Claude's birthday presented an exception. Sebastian had been slaving away on a chocolate layered cake, though none of the layers were stacked.

"Looks good," Claude complimented. Sebastian flashed a half smile; half in thanks, and half because he knew damn well his cake was going to be delicious. "Have you really been working on this all day?"

"Pretty much," Sebastian sighed with satisfaction. "I mean, I didn't wake up 'till about noon, but ever since then I've just been in here. I had more elaborate designs, and I tried recruiting help, but-"

"-Bard?" Claude guessed with a laugh. Sebastian nodded.

"He was the only one that showed up, and we all know how God-awful he is at cooking," Sebastian laughed to himself. "Even _with_ supervision."

"Well, I'm glad _that _catastrophe was avoided," Claude laughed lightly. Sebastian returned to his work on the cake, as Claude pulled up a chair.

"Hey, I'm really glad you came back," Sebastian said, stirring the contents of a rather large bowl.

"Why? Because you realized your life is boring as hell without me?" Claude asked sarcastically. Sebastian laughed.

"Yeah, that, too," he said. "But there was also something I've been meaning to tell you." Sebastian didn't make eye contact with Claude, just stared down at the cake, obviously engrossed in his work.

"Oh?" Claude asked, leaning back in his chair. His gut was telling him that now was perhaps the time for him to mention something to Sebastian as well, though his mind detested the idea. He smiled at his friend, pursing his lips so he wouldn't say anything stupid.

Just then there was a small knock at the front door. Both Claude and Sebastian looked at each other quizzically. Apparently, neither of them were expecting company. Claude stood.

"I'll get it," he offered. He shuffled lazily to the front door. He pulled the door back to reveal a slender, dark haired boy, with his arms folded. He held a bored expression as he stared up at Claude. Claude let out a slow breath, pursing his lips once more.

"Can I come in?" Ciel asked with a sigh. It was quite clear to Claude that he wasn't the one that Ciel wanted to deal with. Seeing Ciel at the door felt similar to the way it felt to pour lemon juice on a papercut. Biting his tongue, he flashed Ciel a smile.

"Sure," he agreed, opening the door wider. "Sebastian is in the kitchen." Ciel flashed him a smirk and a smug thanks as he entered the apartment. Claude took his time shutting the door, not really wanting to overhear the conversation between Ciel and Sebastian. He was sure it was nothing he _needed_ to hear anyway. As he shuffled down the hall to his room, he cursed to himself.

He tried to tell himself he wasn't mad at Sebastian. And this time, he didn't think he really was. At least, not _only_ at Sebastian. It hadn't seemed as though Sebastian was expecting Ciel to show up. Yet, Claude was hoping that if Ciel and Sebastian really _did _have a thing, it would be something he was eased into. Not something he was hit across the face with. Of course, it probably only insulted him as much as it did, simply because today was the day he was planning to tell Sebastian everything. Fate had never really favored Claude for the first twenty one years of his life, why would this one be any different? Or maybe fate _was _being kind to him. Maybe Sebastian would have horribly rejected him and their friendship would be obsolete. At this point, Claude wasn't really sure what he was feeling, and he didn't much care.

He quickly threw some clothes in a bag. He felt childish, like he was running away, again. Technically, he _had_ promised Grell, Will, and Arnold, that he'd be over later that evening. He didn't think sleeping there would make much of a difference. Besides, if he could fake being all right in front of Sebastian, it didn't have to explode into another fight. It was the last thing Claude wanted.

He shuffled back towards the kitchen, smoothing over his upset expression. He tried his hardest to be blatantly obvious about his entrance into the room.

"- he doesn't know," Ciel laughed, putting his hands on his hips. Claude heard Sebastian sigh.

"Well, he's not an idiot, and he's going to figure it out. I just don't know how to _tell _him. And _you're _not helping any!" Sebastian retorted. Claude cleared his throat, causing both Ciel and Sebastian to jump.

"Hey, um, I'm heading over to Will's okay?" Claude told Sebastian with a smile. "I kinda told him I'd have this end of exams party with him."

"Oh," Sebastian said, softly. His face fell ever so slightly.

"Hey, uh, what time is that dumb party for your friend?" Claude asked with a smile. He was trying to be convincing, but also trying not to overdo anything. Apparently his act was working, as Sebastian cracked a half smile.

"Starts at five," he said with a small laugh.

"I'll be there," Claude smiled. "I'm just not going to be the poor bastard a present. I hope he understands." He turned to leave with a laugh.

"Claude," Sebastian called. Claude turned to face his friend, who was obviously searching for words. His mouth opened and closed before he finally said, "See you tomorrow."

Claude waved as he walked toward the door. He was smiling broadly, even though he wasn't happy.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**So. Yeah. School is super busy. I like to read, but I don't like to read textbooks. And apparently that is 99% of what you do in college. Just in case you weren't aware :) And also, I apologize, I've had really bad writer's block with this story. Mostly because I've been working ahead and just kinda skipped over this chapter- which, surprise, made it harder to write. And its kinda important. Anyways. That's that. I fail, I'm sorry, I know its short. If you are awake later today, I plan on posting another chapter (or mayhaps I will split it into 2 chapters... we'll see) and it will be longer and hopefully make up for my lame-ness. Anyways, tighten your seat-belts, children, because this is when the story starts getting funnnnn :)


	14. Open Your Eyes

When Claude, Will, Grell, and Arnold meandered into Claude and Sebastian's apartment, the party was already in full swing. Will, Grell, and Arnold disappeared into the crowd, leaving Claude alone in a sea of faces. It was odd how, at moments like this, one could feel completely alone, even though a throng of people surrounded them. Claude was wished a happy birthday by nearly everyone that passed him, though he didn't recognize most of the faces. It was good, at least, that people were aware that he was Claude.

Claude jumped slightly as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Glad you could make it," Sebastian grinned. Claude grinned back.

"You, uh, invited a lot of people," Claude laughed.

"Well, it's your birthday, dammit! That's cause to celebrate, isn't it?" Sebastian laughed loudly. "I had to invite everyone I could think of! Barring party poopers and lame adults, of course."

"And I made the cut?" Claude asked, raising an eyebrow. Sebastian punched him lightly on the arm.

"We had to call a vote on whether or not we were going to invite you," Sebastian lied sarcastically. "You barely made the cut. So, congrats."

"Thanks, I guess," Claude smiled. Sebastian gave him a pat on the back in parting before he went to go mingle with the crowd again.

"Hey," a voice purred in his ear. It was Hannah. Claude let out his first genuine smile of the day. "Happy birthday, you."

"Thanks," Claude said. "I'm glad you're here," he said. "I'm sorry about the decorations, though. I hadn't realized my decorator was going to make them look so shitty." Hannah laughed, punching him lightly. "They look excellent, Hannah," he grinned.

"Well, you should know it took me a good half hour to get all the crepe paper up," she smiled. "It took forever to get it to drape down from your ceiling like that," she sighed. As Claude's eyes scanned the crepe paper beautifully billowing down, he caught sight of Ciel. He let out a sigh. He should have known the kid would be here. In close proximity to the small boy, was Mey Rin. And, not surprisingly, Sebastian was standing by both of them. The three of them were involved in a discussion. Probably fighting over Sebastian, no doubt. Claude tried not to let it bug him. It was his birthday. And it's not like he had any claim to Sebastian in the first place. But, as time passed the thought bugged him more and more.

"I'm going to step out for some air," he said to Hannah with a smile. He didn't want anyone following him. "I'll be back."

If Hannah was wise to his act, she never let on. She returned his smile and let him leave. Claude was frequently grateful for her tact. He made his way through the large crowd in his living room and slipped silently out the sliding patio door without being noticed.

He sat on the cool concrete steps and looked up at the sky. For some reason, being alone and being able to _breathe_ was making him feel better. He mentally slapped himself for being an idiot. He was letting this whole Sebastian flirtatiousness get to him. He was upset that Sebastian liked someone and it wasn't him. Why was it such a big deal _now_? Claude had easily masked his feelings for his whole life. Why couldn't he continue to do so? He was an idiot for even considering telling Sebastian in the first place. That would have led to a bunch of complications that he didn't need, or even really want. Sebastian was a handful as a friend. Claude could only imagine how Sebastian behaved in relationships- not that he'd really ever had a steady one in the first place.

His thoughts were quickly interrupted as he heard the patio door slide gently open.

"Hey," Sebastian said softly, stepping outside and sitting beside Claude. "You know it's kinda weird for you to be celebrating your birthday from the back patio." Claude was silent. There was really nothing he wanted to say. Alois was right. Everything he said, no matter how much it hurt, was right. Claude merely felt embarrassed that a fifteen year old boy noticed it before he did. "What bites?" Sebastian asked, after a moment's silence.

"They'll miss you inside if you're gone too long," Claude said softly.

"I'm not here for them," Sebastian said, firmly. Claude sighed.

"I think Mey Rin and Ciel feel differently," he said curtly. He wished he wouldn't act like such an asshole to Sebastian, but he couldn't really help it. It was Sebastian's turn to fall silent. He shifted uncomfortably beside Claude.

"Um," he said hesitantly. "I don't really know what to say."

"I do," Claude said. He turned towards Sebastian, whose face held a somber expression. Claude wasn't used to seeing a downtrodden Sebastian, but at the moment he didn't really care. So Sebastian was upset for once in his life, because his little flirtatious lifestyle blew up in his face. Welcome to the real world.

"You're my best friend and you want me to be happy, I get that. But you can't play matchmaker for me when you don't know what I want. I don't want to rekindle things with Alois, I've told you that. It seems no matter how many times, you ignore me. You're sure that we're meant to be, and that's just not true," Claude sighed. "I swore to myself I would never tell you this," he chuckled darkly. "I don't want Alois, because I want _you._ I spent all this time thinking it was impossible for anything to happen. And then I find out that you and _Ciel_…" he paused, not really wanting to repeat what he'd discovered. "Well, I guess now I know for sure it's impossible."

"I can't say I don't have a handful of moments I wish I could change," Sebastian said glumly. He pulled up a handful of dead grass and began throwing individual blades violently to the ground. "Ciel is one of those moments. And I don't want this to become another."

"Then don't let it," Claude said, pretending to become very interested in the night sky. "Seriously. You better go raise some hell back in there or people will start falling asleep." Claude jerked his head in the direction of the apartment. "I'll be fine. Don't let me make this a moment you're going to regret." Sebastian laughed a little.

"That's not exactly what I mean," he said, slowly. Claude turned to face Sebastian, a witty comeback prepared. But he wasn't quite as prepared as he thought he would be. Sebastian eagerly took Claude's face in his hands and stopped any further word exchange with his lips. Claude was frozen, not really responding to the gentle heat of Sebastian's skin, not really sure what to do. His head was fuzzy and he couldn't think clearly. He remembered that he was supposed to be mad at Sebastian, but at the moment any sort of negative emotion was impossible. He tried to stir up remembrance of all the horrid things Sebastian had done the past few days, tried listing all the reasons he should be mad, but nothing was worth it. Couldn't he just be happy for this one moment?

Claude realized that, whilst warring with himself, he was kissing Sebastian back. Eagerly. Deeply. None of the pain that Sebastian had caused Claude's heart as of late was disappearing, yet it managed to make the moment sweeter. Sebastian was here. With _him_. Not with Mey Rin. Not with Ciel. He was with Claude, pouring his soul into every kiss.

"I didn't really know how to tell you," Sebastian said, drawing away slightly. "And I didn't want to mess things up,"

"Even though they were less than perfect?" Claude asked, laughing lightly, despite his labored breathing. He pulled Sebastian in for another kiss, which turned into two and then three.

"You seemed happy enough, and that was all that really mattered to me," Sebastian whispered against Claude's lips. "Mey Rin was convinced otherwise, though. She wanted me to win you over," he laughed lightly.

"So you guys never…?" Claude asked, a faint smile on his lips. Sebastian gently laced Claude's collarbone with soft kisses.

"Nah," he said, chuckling. "We had a thing once, a long time ago, but it never worked out. She's into Bard now. And lately, she's just been nosing into all of my private business."

"Hmm, remind me to thank her later," Claude said, as Sebastian's lips found his once more, silencing him. They kissed deeply, their tongues brushing, before Claude pulled away.

"We have guests inside," he said, as though suddenly realizing there was a world outside of just him and Sebastian. Claude had never been one for public displays of affection in the first place (though they weren't exactly in _public_) and the thought of his guests catching them made him blush furiously.

"They're entertaining themselves just fine," Sebastian protested. Claude stood, despite Sebastian's efforts to make him stay.

"We can't just ignore them," Claude reasoned, pulling Sebastian to his feet. "Besides, I'm _mad_ at you, remember?" He smiled. "When everyone goes home we'll have all the time we want."

"Any chance of sending people home early?" Sebastian suggested in the form of a question. Claude laughed.

"Hell no," he exclaimed. He repeated Sebastian's words from earlier that evening: "It's my birthday, that's a cause to celebrate, isn't it?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**So. Yeah. I decided to split this chapter into two parts. IDK when I will upload the next part. Probably sometime late tonight or early tomorrow... it depends on how much it sucks. I'm going to be really picky on it, simply because I've never written anything like it before. And if you're thinking that its the lemon chapter, you're probably right. Just don't get your hopes up too high... I can't guarantee that it will be great. :)

Anyways, thanks to you guys for the faves, the watches, the reviews, and the encouragement! I love you all soooo much! 3 *mwah*


	15. From Now On

**A/N:**Just a warning, so I don't get crap about it- this chapter is a **lemon** and contains mature material. Therefore, if you do not want to read anything that entails do NOT read this chapter. If this is the chapter you have been waiting for, please proceed. :)

* * *

><p>"Thank God," Sebastian sighed as Claude closed their front door for the final time that evening. "I thought all those people would never leave."<p>

"_You_ invited them," Claude reminded him with a smirk. Sebastian pulled him into his arms and kissed him, still grinning. "Thank you, though, for planning everything." Sebastian released him, and Claude sighed, looking around at the mess that he once called his living room. "I suppose I should clean up," he muttered under his breath.

"Oh, no you don't," Sebastian said, taking him by the hand. "It's your birthday, so you're not cleaning _anything._" They stopped in front of the bathroom door. "I'll take care of it. You just… take a shower or something."

Claude laughed, but didn't protest as Sebastian shoved him into the bathroom. The silence that greeted him was nice. He hadn't really had a moment to himself for the last few days. He undressed quickly and eagerly clambered into the shower, letting the warm water trickle down his body. He was relaxed and, for the first time in a long while, truly happy. Sure, the road to happiness hadn't exactly been the most pleasant journey. But he was happy at last, which made everything all worth it. His life had never exactly worked out perfectly anyway.

Claude kept his shower short. His weariness was quickly catching up to him and his warm bed seemed more and more appealing. He slipped silently into his room, dressing into sweats and a t-shirt. He shuffled back into the living room a small smile spreading across his face when he noted that Sebastian had cleaned the room satisfactorily. He turned back down the hallway still grinning like an idiot and poked his head into Sebastian's dimly lit room.

"The living room looks-" Claude began to compliment, but Sebastian's lips stopped him. Claude made no further attempts at conversation, returning Sebastian's kisses. He was acutely aware of being pulled into the room and hearing the door shut with a soft click. Mostly he was aware of Sebastian. Just Sebastian.

Sebastian's hands made their way from Claude's damp hair, slowly down his back. He pulled Claude's shirt off, his own following soon after. His lips trailed hungrily down Claude's neck to his shoulder. Claude suddenly found himself sitting on Sebastian's bed, Sebastian still standing above him. As Sebastian pulled him in for another kiss, Claude's hands moved of their own volition and became occupied with the task of removing Sebastian's jeans. They fell to the floor with a satisfying thump.

Claude had seen Sebastian scantily clothed many times before, but this time somehow seemed different. It was as though his eyes were seeing Sebastian for the first time. He was beautiful. He stood, removing his own pants, feeling self-conscious for a moment. He felt the heat rush to his cheeks as Sebastian's eyes wandered along his body.

Sebastian pulled him closer, and guided him softly back to the bed. He kissed Claude's cheek.

"I stole a little something from your room," he grinned mischievously, pulling a tube seemingly out of thin air.

"You went into my room?" Claude asked, in mock shock.

"Yeah," Sebastian smiled, "And I read your diary, too," he joked. Sebastian's slight weight on top of Claude's frame was oddly comfortable, as though Sebastian was a part of him. He was showered with several more kisses, his brain still slightly fuzzy. He had wanted this so badly- had wanted _Sebastian_ so badly- it was hard to believe that any of this was actually happening at all. Yet, at the same time, Claude wasn't really sure what he was doing. He was nervous. What if- when the time came- he froze? What if he did something wrong? He didn't want to disappoint Sebastian- he wanted everything to be perfect. Mentally, he was punching himself. Nothing was going to be perfect. Not this, not a relationship with Sebastian, none of the future events in his life. That was just the way things worked. But, still, he was so scared. He knew his own inhibitions and fears were only making things harder, yet he couldn't quite crush them.

Sebastian, however, seemed completely calm- letting his kisses wander from Claude's lips once more. They trailed down to his collarbone, down his chest, and down his stomach. Claude was quivering uncontrollably. Sebastian's kisses stopped.

"What's wrong?" he purred softly.

"Nothing," Claude smiled with a nervous laugh. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine, you're shaking like crazy," Sebastian laughed, sitting up. "You've never done this before, have you?" he asked with a mischievous grin. "You're nervous."

"No," Claude said, trying to laugh off the accusation. Sebastian gave him a disbelieving look. "Okay, fine," Claude sighed, sitting up as well. "So I haven't slept with anyone before. You're really surprised by that?" He asked. Sebastian shrugged, pausing for a moment.

"I guess I am a little," he smiled, nudging Claude with his elbow. "You've really never done this?"

"No, I haven't!" Claude said, feeling increasingly more nervous. He tried to calm his breathing, stop his limbs from shaking, but nothing he did mattered. He was just a frightened, quivering ball of flesh. He sighed and rested his head on Sebastian's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he whispered, gently kissing Sebastian's shoulder. "This isn't really how I wanted this to go."

There was a beat of silence between the two, Claude growing increasingly jittery. Sebastian wouldn't change his mind about things, would he? He wouldn't love him less because he was too nervous? Claude _wanted _to be with Sebastian. He wasn't sure why he was reacting this way. Sure, he was nervous as hell, but he figured his nerves would go away, not get worse.

Sebastian laughed lightly and kissed the top of Claude's head. "I love you," he said softly, causing Claude's head to snap up. "Did you know that?"

"You love me?" Claude asked, looking up at Sebastian. His scarlet eyes were sincere. He put a hand on the side of Claude's face, gently kissing his forehead.

"Yeah," he laughed lightly. "I do. And I don't want you to feel like you have to do this, okay? This isn't something that should happen until you're ready."

"No," Claude breathed. "I-I want this." He bit his lip nervously. "I've waited too long for this, you know?" He laughed a little, but his nerves didn't really disappear. Sebastian kissed him gently, wrapping his arms around Claude's waist. His kisses, gentle and soft, trailed from Claude's neck to his shoulders. Sebastian's touch gave him pleasant chills. Butterflies. Claude breathed in sharply. He was nervous- but things weren't all about him anymore. Sebastian had the guts to come forward and tell Claude his true feelings- which wasn't something that Claude had been willing to do. For years, Claude knew what he wanted. He wasn't about to back away when it was here in front of him. He couldn't. "I'm done waiting," he whispered. He fumbled, grabbing for the lubricant that Sebastian had so tactfully stolen from him. He let the solution spill onto his hand, before taking Sebastian. He could hear Sebastian's breath catch in his throat for at their sudden contact, and felt the smile in his lover's kisses- which gave Claude a small boost of confidence that he did not have previously.

He took his time, gently working his hands- listening for signs that he was doing things right. Whether he was or wasn't, Sebastian was pleased. His breathing was sporadic and he was frantically lacing Claude's neck with soft kisses. As he worked, Claude could feel Sebastian changing- emotionally, it was Sebastian's turn to be timid; but physically he wasn't holding back.

Claude lay on his stomach, Sebastian's fingers lacing gently through his.

"I've waited, too," Sebastian whispered, planting a soft kiss on the edge of Claude's ears. His grip on Claude's hands tightened slightly, though he continued to lace Claude's body with kisses. Sebastian paused before doing anything further, as though waiting for a sign from Claude. Claude's heart had flown up into this throat, preventing him from verbally communicating anything. He was still nervous, but he had never wanted Sebastian so badly before this moment. He let out a sound that was something between a soft moan and a whimper, and closed his eyes. Sebastian, receiving no protest, slid slowly inside his lover.

The feeling was indescribable. It was painful, yet this closeness with Sebastian was desirable. Claude's fists tightened, his breathing became increasingly more ragged. Sebastian laced him with more kisses as he continued to work, his own excitement and nerves starting to show. As he moved, he elicited another soft whimper from his lover. As Sebastian continued to weave in and out, Claude's entire being was filled with fire. It was a pleasant burning, seemingly replacing all of his jitters. He was no longer the nervous wreck he had been mere minutes ago. He was simply consumed by his love and desire for Sebastian.

When Sebastian left, Claude felt like he could breathe again, yet, at the same time, it felt like a part of him was missing. He desired to feel that closeness with Sebastian once more, yet he was exhausted. Sebastian was lying beside him, quite still, except for the rapid rise and fall of his chest. Claude scooted closer, laying his head on Sebastian's chest and wrapping an arm around his waist. Sebastian kissed the top of Claude's head.

"There," Sebastian sighed. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"It was _alright_," Claude laughed, sarcastically. "There wasn't any reason to be nervous, anyway," he added, reassuring himself as well as Sebastian. "I felt like an idiot, with you being so calm about everything."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous," Sebastian sighed. "When you're with someone you care a lot about, you get nervous. Looking back, you've made me nervous a lot," he laughed lightly. Claude sat and kissed the tip of Sebastian's nose.

"Well it all turned out to be worth it in the end," he said softly. Sebastian pulled him in for another gentle kiss. Claude smiled and settled back down, Sebastian's chest serving as his pillow. The two of them lay entwined in each other in the comfortable dark of silence. Claude was happy. Of course "happy" didn't even begin to describe his feelings, but it was the best he could do. After all of his perceived suffering, his journey to happiness seemed laughable. It was a story he would be proud to tell.

As the minutes wore on, he could feel his eyelids drooping as the peace of sleep began to overtake him. Judging by the rate of Sebastian's breathing, he was in the same situation. Claude succumbed to his desire for sleep, allowing his eyes to close and the moment to end. Before he fell asleep, he heard Sebastian whisper his name softly. Claude fell asleep with a smile across his lips, and the reassurance that everything was going to be all right.

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><p><strong>AN:**Well... there is the moment you've been waiting for! Hope I didn't let you down too bad. In case you didn't notice, really honestly had no idea how to write one of these things, and googling tips was kinda awkward. But in my research experience, I found a line that really stuck out to me: "Sex without emotion is just porn." And while I know there are people out there who don't mind that PWP stuff (no hate!), I figured emotionally charging this scene would make it more meaningful\ relate-able and fit the dynamic of the story better. So lemme know how I did? There will be a few more chappies in conclusion, so stick around for that, but mostly keep an eye out for a short sequel I plan to write (maybe?).

I'm really sorry this took so long to post! You guys are so incredibly patient with me, and you leave reviews that always make me smile and feel wonderful! I just... I love you guys. Thank you so much! :)


	16. Make Me Happy

The next morning dawned a little brighter than usual for Claude. He slowly opened his eyes, a small smile still spread across his face. Sebastian's arm was draped around Claude's waist, holding him closer- and Sebastian's soft snores filled the peaceful silence. Claude rolled slowly to face Sebastian, a slight blush creeping across his face. The fact that he was lying next to Sebastian was really the only proof he had of the previous night's events. Otherwise, he wasn't at all sure he could convince himself that Sebastian had ended up sleeping with him. The whole "happy ending" thing seemed like something Claude's brain would invent, anyway. He was just glad that, for once, this was real.

Claude's shifting, however slight, caused Sebastian to wake. His snoring stopped abruptly, but gently. His scarlet eyes opened with some effort, but as soon as they met the gold of Claude's a smile spread across Sebastian's face. He tightened his grip on Claude's waist ever so slightly and kissed Claude's forehead.

"Hey," he greeted softly, his fatigue still evident in his voice. He stretched, glancing at the clock and out the window. "It's a beautiful morning," he said, trying to sound more awake than he actually was.

"Yeah," Claude agreed, snuggling closer. "But it's not so beautiful that I would feel guilty for lying in bed all day," he grinned. Sebastian laughed a little.

"You lazy bum," he chided sarcastically. He sighed, and there was a brief pause between the two, a preoccupied look spreading across Sebastian's face. Claude knew something was on his mind- he could practically _feel_ the wheels turning in Sebastian's head.

"What's on your mind so early?" Claude asked.

"You," Sebastian sighed, speaking simply. "It's just- I haven't been in a steady relationship for, well, years. I mean, you know me." A small knot formed in Claude's stomach. He should have seen something like this coming. Sure, he wasn't necessarily expecting things to be a one night stand, but knowing Sebastian, he should have realized that their relationship wasn't going to be anything serious.

"We can take things slow," Claude replied. He didn't want to ruin anything with Sebastian. Not when he had made it so far. If he had to sacrifice some of his dreams so that Sebastian would be comfortable, that was something he was absolutely willing to do. And who's to say things wouldn't work out in the end? "I mean, yeah, I know you pretty well. We don't have to be anything serious. I understand."

"What are you saying?" Sebastian asked, studying Claude's face intently.

"Well, I know you have commitment issues," Claude said hesitantly. "I'm not about to rush you into some serious relationship. Relationships definitely aren't easy."

"No, they're not," Sebastian laughed, sounding a little relieved. "I haven't had many, but I feel like I know plenty about them. And I'm glad you're so understanding about my commitment issues," Sebastian said, rolling over on his stomach and propping himself up on his elbows. "But I've never been so sure about anything in my entire life."

It was Claude's turn to look confused. Maybe it was the fact that Sebastian was awake earlier than he was used to, and couldn't get a point across clearly. Maybe it was the fact that he was trying to let Claude down easy, which was never something Sebastian had been good at. But whatever it was- Claude was completely lost. "I realize things in a relationship aren't going to be perfect," Sebastian continued. "We're going to fight. We're going to get angry. We're going to have to work at this every day. But no matter what happens between us, we have satisfaction at the end of the day. I have the satisfaction of knowing that you love me, and you have the satisfaction of knowing that I love you," Sebastian laughed nervously. "So, what I guess I'm trying to say is- due to my lack of experience and our potential to fight, things are going to be rough. But I don't care. I don't want this to be something temporary. You've never been something temporary in my life, Claude, and that's not about to change."

Claude didn't really have a good response to Sebastian's unusual eloquence. He tried to respond- but ended up opening and closing his mouth, looking like an idiot. "I'm happy," Claude managed to stutter, his blush growing. "I mean, you make me happy-" Sebastian leaned in and kissed Claude softly.

"I _want_ to make you happy," Sebastian grinned. "Every day. From today on."

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><p><strong>AN:**I know, its short, DON'T KILL ME! It just... I dunno. The ending worked really well here and I felt like I didn't need to add anything else.

I may have been a little overkill on the fluffiness here... but I DON'T CAAAARE. :D Anyways, thank you guys for being so supportive and wonderful and leaving me all the best reviews and encouragement! I probably wouldn't have finished this if it weren't for you!

Thank you! *HUGS of epic proportions*

Also, due to overwhelming acceptance, I have decided to write a sequel to this story, called "Contentment, Catastrophe, and A Happy Medium." (It's published, so you can go read the first chapter if you want!) It's going to be set a few years in the future, super fluffy, and mostly drabbles... connected drabbles. Yeah. This sequel was mostly inspired by a review left by Hashi-Hashi so you can thank them!


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